In vitro babies bring happiness to a lot of families. Their development, health and social problems are being studied in details.
Objectives: To establish the well being of babies, born at the University Maternity Hospital "Maichin dom" following assisted reproduction (AR), probable risk factors immediately after birth and afterwards. Aims of the study are to look for a correlation between AR and the incidence and importance of medical problems, arising during the neonatal period: multiple pregnancy; prematurity; intrauterine growth retardation; neonatal mortality; inborn malformations and chromosomal diseases; CNS impairment; duration of hospitalization.
Study design: This is a retrospective study including all 440 babies born thanks to AR (according to the available medical records) during the period 2008-2010 at the University Maternity Hospital "Maichin dom". A correlation between the main items observed and the number of babies in each pregnancy was investigated for the period 01.01.2010-31.12.2010.
Results: During the period 2008-2010 there are 99 babies from single pregnancy, 15 (15%) admitted to the NICU; 384 twin pregnancies (186 of them after AR)--733 babies and 15 foetus mortus. 114 IVF couplets (31%) or 221 babies (7 foetus mortus) are admitted to physiological neonatal ward, while 72 (63%) couplets or 137 babies (7 foetus mortus) are admitted to the NICU. There are 48 triplet pregnancies or 141 babies (3 f. mortus), 40 being IVF (83%) or 117 babies, all 40 AR triplets are admitted to the NICU. 269 babies (61% of all AR babies) need intensive treatment--mostly (94%) babies from multiple pregnancies. Mean birth weight was established to be 2060 g; with babies, requiring intensive treatment is 1408 g. Gestational age at birth is from 25 to 39 g.w.; with NICU patients mean gestational age is 32 g.w. Mean maternal age is relatively high--34 years with a wide range (24-50 years). A high incidence of operative deliveries is established--mostly with couplets and triplets.
Conclusions: Rules of good clinical practice should be introduced with AR, aiming at reducing the number of multiple pregnancies. This should be priority for all national programs for assisted reproduction.