Association between Abortion History and Perinatal and Neonatal Outcomes of Singleton Pregnancies after Assisted Reproductive Technology

Abstract

Importance: At present, few people have studied the associations between abortion history before pregnancy on the outcomes of women and their infants after assisted reproductive technology (ART). Objective: To explore the association between the history of abortion and the outcomes of singleton pregnancies after ART. Design: This was a retrospective study in a hospital from 2015 to 2020 in Shanghai, China. Pregnant women with live singleton births through ART were included (n = 3043). Abortion was classified into spontaneous abortion (SAB) and induced abortion. We compared the maternal and fetal outcomes of singleton pregnancies obtained through ART with different abortion histories. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between the history of pre-pregnancy abortion with perinatal complications and neonatal outcomes. Results: We observed that compared with those who had no abortion history and obtained singleton pregnancies through ART, women who had an abortion history before pregnancy (including SAB or induced abortion history) and only SAB history were more likely to have gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), thyroid-related diseases, and placenta-related diseases. After adjusting the potential confounding factors, these differences still existed. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of GDM, thyroid-related diseases, and placenta-related diseases in women with a history of abortion and only a history of SAB were 1.239 (1.030–1.492) and 1.240 (1.010–1.522), 1.589 (1.261–2.002) and 1.724 (1.344–2.213), 1.465 (1.183–1.815) and 1.433 (1.132–1.814), respectively. However, we did not observe the association between the history of induced abortion and GDM and thyroid-related diseases. Conclusions and Relevance: Our research showed that pregnant women with singleton pregnancies through ART who had a history of abortion or only a history of SAB were more likely to have GDM, thyroid-related diseases, and placenta-related diseases. Pregnant women who had both SAB and induced abortion before pregnancy had a higher risk of thyroid-related diseases and placenta-related diseases, while women who had only a history of induced abortion had a higher risk of placenta-related diseases. Further research is needed to explore the biological mechanism of different types of abortion related to subsequent pregnancy.