Infertility
Time to pregnancy after a previous miscarriage in subfertile couples

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.03.082Get rights and content
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Objective

To assess the time to spontaneous ongoing pregnancy after a previous miscarriage in subfertile couples.

Design

A prospective cohort study.

Setting

The study was conducted in 38 fertility centers in the Netherlands.

Patient(s)

Subfertile couples who miscarried after completing their basic fertility work-up.

Intervention(s)

Expectant management after a miscarriage.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Spontaneous ongoing pregnancy.

Result(s)

We included 5,663 subfertile couples, of which 1,098 (19%) conceived spontaneously. Among these 1,098 couples, 199 (18%) miscarried and these couples were included in the present study. Follow-up was completed for 171 couples, of which 95 conceived again within 24 months of follow-up. Of these 95 pregnancies, 86 (91%) were ongoing. The cumulative spontaneous ongoing pregnancy rate (PR) after 24 months was 70% (95% confidence interval [CI] 59%–81%).

Conclusion(s)

Subfertile couples, who experience a treatment-independent pregnancy resulting in a miscarriage, have very good prospects of a spontaneous ongoing pregnancy in the near future. This information is useful in counseling couples who had a miscarriage after a previous period of subfertility.

Key Words

Subfertility
miscarriage
ongoing pregnancy

Cited by (0)

T.C. has nothing to disclose. J.-W.v.d.S. has nothing to disclose. P.S. has nothing to disclose. P.G.A.H. has nothing to disclose. F.v.d.V. has nothing to disclose. M.J.C.E. has nothing to disclose. J.H.S.v.L. has nothing to disclose. C.R. has nothing to disclose. P.M.M.B. has nothing to disclose. B.W.J.M. has nothing to disclose.

Partly facilitated by grant 945 12 002 from ZonMW, The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, The Hague, The Netherlands.