Adverse pregnancy and neo-natal outcomes after assisted reproductive treatment in patients with pelvic endometriosis: a case–control study

Abstract

To assess the impact of endometriosis on obstetric outcomes and to determine whether the severity, location and surgical treatment of the disease before the pregnancy had an impact on the prevalence of these disorders, a monocentric, case–control study was performed. In total, 113 pregnancies obtained by assisted reproductive treatment among patients with endometriosis were matched with control selected among assisted reproductive treatment pregnancies due to male infertility. The main result measures were pregnancy outcome at the obstetrical and neo-natal levels. The incidence of first trimester bleeding, pre-eclampsia, premature delivery threat, pelvic pain and Caesarean section was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in women with endometriosis. Except for gestational diabetes and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), the severity, location of lesions and surgical treatment of endometriosis did not have an impact on either pregnancy outcome or risk of obstetric complications. The IUGR is mainly due to deep locations and the revised American Fertility Society (rAFS) stages III–IV. Newborns with a mother suffering from endometriosis are at greater risk of being premature, smaller for their gestational age and more frequently hospitalized than the control group. Deep location of endometriosis is associated with more prematurity, hospitalization and smaller birthweight than ovarian locations.