Evaluation of birth outcomes, congenital anomalies and neonatal complications of singletons born to infertile women treated with letrozole: A retrospective cohort study.

Abstract

At present, safety of letrozole administration as an ovulation-inducing drug still remains controversial. Investigation of the safety of letrozole use for the induction of ovulation in the Chinese population is scant. The present study aimed to fill this gap. Data concerning mothers using letrozole and birth outcomes of their singleton offspring were collected as the letrozole group (n=194), equivalent data from mothers using non-letrozole drugs and their singleton offspring were included as the non-letrozole group (control, n=154). Birth outcomes, congenital anomalies and neonatal complications were compared and analyzed between the two groups. Univariate analysis, Spearman's rank correlation analysis and the logistic regression model were utilized. For birth outcomes, the percentage of caesarean section deliveries in the letrozole group was lower than the non-letrozole group (43.8 vs. 56.4%, P=0.019). For congenital anomalies, no significant difference was found between the two groups (all P>0.05). The statistical P-value for the correlation between the maternal use of letrozole and neonatal complications was marginal (P=0.051). Results from the logistic regression analysis confirmed that maternal use of letrozole was not a significant contributor for neonatal complications, independent of statistical adjustment [crude odds ratio (OR), 1.436; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.803-2.569; P=0.223 vs. adjusted OR, 1.406; 95% CI, 0.748-2.643; P=0.290). The results of the present study suggested that maternal use of letrozole for ovulation induction does not associate with poorer birth outcomes or increased risk of congenital anomalies and neonatal complications.