PARIS, Sept 19 — New European research has found that women who give birth following assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) may have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes than those who conceive naturally.

Carried out by researchers at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, the new study analysed data from 38 studies and involving nearly 2 million women who experienced singleton pregnancies (carrying and giving birth to only one child) and included 163,302 cases of gestational diabetes.

The researchers found that women who became pregnant via assisted reproduction techniques had a 53 per cent increased risk of gestational diabetes compared to women who conceived naturally.

A further analysis of 17 studies, which involved 21,606 women who were matched for age, height, weight, smoking status and ethnic origin, suggested that women who underwent assisted reproduction techniques were 42 per cent more likely to develop gestational diabetes compared with those who got pregnant naturally.

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Although it is known that pregnancies resulting from assisted reproduction are associated with more obstetric and perinatal complications, such as pre-eclampsia, placental anomalies, caesarean sections, early delivery, and low birth weight, compared with pregnancies achieved by natural conception, less is known about whether assisted reproduction technologies are also linked with gestational diabetes.

As the research included observational studies, no conclusions can be made from the current analysis about cause and effect. The authors also note that the analysis does have its limitations, for example, most studies did not take into account important potentially influencing factors.

However, researcher Dr Panagiotis Anagnostis commented on the findings says, “This rigorous assessment of the best available evidence to date shows that singleton pregnancies achieved by IVF are linked with an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes compared with pregnancies conceived naturally.”

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“The exact mechanism is unclear, and whether this risk is due to the medical intervention or the underlying infertility status of the couples undergoing assisted reproduction, is not yet fully understood and requires further research.”

He adds: “Whilst gestational diabetes remains a rare outcome for assisted reproduction technologies, the complications of the former indicate that women at risk must be identified and monitored, ensuring they receive early detection and appropriate support and care.”

The findings are being presented this week at this year’s European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Barcelona, Spain. — AFP-Relaxnews