The effect of congenital uterine anomalies on fertility and potential obstetrical and fetal complications

Abstract

Aistė Buitvidaitė1, Rasa Dalibagaitė1, Tomas Biržietis2 1Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Medical Academy, Faculty of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania 2Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Hospital, P. Mažylis Maternity Home, Kaunas, Lithuania Abstract Background. Congenital anomalies of the uterus are anatomical changes of the uterus that occur during embryonic development. Although the frequency of congenital uterine anomalies in the female population is not very high, specific anatomical changes in the uterus can have negative consequences for a woman’s fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, and fetal complications Aim. To describe the most common congenital anomalies of the uterus, their influence on fertility, and possible obstetric and fetal complications. Materials and methods. The PubMed search was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. A combination of keywords was used: “congenital uterine anomalies”, “obstetric complications”, and “neonatal complications”. Inclusion criteria: included in the analysis of scientific literature since 2013 written scientific articles, clinical studies, or systematic literature analyses related to the impact of congenital uterine anomalies on female fertility, obstetrical and neonatal complications. Type of studies: a meta-analysis, randomized controlled trial, systematic review. The risk of bias was assessed according to QUADAS – 2 criteria. Results. Of the 58 scientific publications collected using keywords and filters, after removing duplicates and briefly analyzing the title and abstract, 9 potentially relevant studies remained. All texts were further screened for final inclusion, and 8 studies were included. Conclusion. Based on the literature review, it can be stated that congenital anomalies of the uterus increase the frequency of negative consequences for the female reproductive system and increase the frequency of obstetric and neonatal complications. Keywords: congenital uterine anomalies, fertility, obstetric and neonatal complications Full article https://doi.org/10.53453/ms.2023.5.17