Effect of dalteparin sodium administration on IVF outcome in non-thrombophilic young women: a pilot study

Abstract

This study evaluated whether heparin administration could affect IVF outcome. A total of 172 women, aged <40 years, without laboratory findings of thrombophilia and undergoing their first IVF cycle, were randomly allocated to treatment ( n = 86) and control ( n = 86) groups. Patients allocated to the treatment group received low-molecular-weight heparin dalteparin sodium 2500 IU s.c. daily, in addition to routine luteal phase support, from oocyte retrieval up to the day of the pregnancy test or up to the ninth week of pregnancy in the cases of positive human chorionic gonadotrophin. From the day after the oocyte retrieval, all patients began standard supplementation with vaginal progesterone 200 mg twice a day. At the sixth week of pregnancy, patients underwent an ultrasound scan to assess the number/viability of gestational sacs. Implantation rates were 15% and 12% in the dalteparin and control groups, respectively. The clinical pregnancy rates/embryo transfers were 26% (19/73) and 20% (16/80), in the dalteparin and control groups, respectively, with live birth rates/embryo transfer of 21% (15/73) and 16% (13/80). Despite the lack of statistical significance, the increase in pregnancies observed in the treatment group may be considered as an important clinical point in the optimization of IVF clinical outcome.