Feb 9, 2022 - Health

Fertility treatments linked to preterm births

Tina Reed

Illustration of a birth certificate in the shape of a red cross. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Fertility treatments appear to be associated with an increased risk for preterm births, according to a study released Tuesday in JAMA Network Open.

The details: In the cohort study led by the Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, researchers looked at data from the National Vital Statistics System for more than 14.3 million live, single births by mothers in the U.S.

The prevalence of preterm birth was 7.6% in natural conception, compared to 10.7% among those who used assisted reproductive technology (ART) and 9.3% among those that used non-ART treatment like oral medications or injections.

What they're saying: After risk adjustment, the authors said those who conceived using fertility treatments had a "significantly higher risk" for preterm birth, a finding which "warrants more investigation."

The big picture: Another study looking at fertility treatments and pre-term birth published last month in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology found medically assisted reproduction treatments are associated with adverse birth outcomes.

However, that study concluded the risks are unlikely to be associated with the fertility treatment itself.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect the study was published in JAMA Network Open, not JAMA Obstetrics and Gynecology.

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Fertility treatments linked to preterm births

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