Caesarean section and its impact on fertility and time to a subsequent pregnancy in Germany: a database analysis in gynecological practices

Effect of previous caesarean section on reproductive and pregnancy outcomes after assisted reproductive technology: A systematic review and meta‑analysis

Pregnancies following previous caesarean section (CS) are associated with higher incidence of infections, postpartum haemorrhage and obstetric complications. The present study aimed to explore the effect of previous CS on reproductive, maternal and neonatal outcomes in women who underwent assisted reproductive techniques (ART). A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess reproductive and pregnancy outcomes following ART in women with and without a previous CS. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Eligible language articles written in English, published up to October 2023, were identified in Medline, Google Scholar and Science Direct databases. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. A total of 19 articles, reporting on 13 different outcomes met the inclusion criteria. It was revealed that women with previous CS had 9% lower clinical pregnancy rates, 13% lower live birth rates, 11% lower implantation rates and 28% lower multiple pregnancy rates compared with women who had prior natural vaginal deliveries. Additionally, previous CS was associated with an 8-fold higher risk of difficult embryo transfers. No significant differences were noted in ectopic pregnancy rates, miscarriage rates or biochemical pregnancy rates. The present systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that previous CS is associated with decreased prospects of clinical pregnancy, live birth and successful embryo implantation during ART. The findings of the present study underscored the need to counsel women with prior CS regarding its potential impact on ART outcomes.

Reproductive and pregnancy outcomes following embryo transfer in women with previous cesarean section: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Cesarean section affects subsequent spontaneous pregnancies because of implantation issues. However, its impact on post-embryo transfer pregnancies is still debated. This review aimed to evaluate the impact of a previous cesarean section on fertility and pregnancy outcomes of women undergoing fresh or frozen embryo transfer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

MEDLINE, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, Scielo, EMBASE, Cochrane Library at the CENTRAL, and LILACS were searched from inception to February 2021. Studies were included if they evaluated reproductive or pregnancy outcomes after fresh or frozen embryo transfer in infertile women with a previous cesarean section relative to women with a previous vaginal delivery. Random-effect meta-analyses to calculate risk ratio (RR) or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CI) followed by subgroup analysis for fresh and frozen embryo transfer were performed. Risk of bias and quality assessment were conducted using Newcastle-Ottawa scale and GRADE criteria. The review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42021226297).

RESULTS

Ten studies, with data provided for 13 696 participants, were eligible. For embryo transfers after cesarean section, compared with vaginal delivery, there was a significant reduction of the live birth rate (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.99) and biochemical pregnancy rate (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82-0.96). No statistically significant differences were found for clinical pregnancy rate (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.84-1.02), ectopic pregnancies (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.68-1.46), pregnancy loss (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.94-1.18), multiple pregnancies (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.63-1.02), stillbirths (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.27-2.69), birth defects (RR 1.71, 95% CI 0.49-5.96) or birthweight (mean difference 46.82, 95% CI -40.16 to 133.80). Subgroup analysis revealed an increased risk for preterm birth in post-cesarean section fresh embryo transfer pregnancies (RR 1.59, 95% CI 1.16-2.19).

CONCLUSIONS

Low-grade evidence shows that post-embryo transfer pregnancies in infertile women who had a previous cesarean delivery result in reduced biochemical pregnancy and live birth rates relative to women with a previous vaginal delivery. An increased risk for preterm birth is notable in post-fresh embryo transfer pregnancies.

Impact of previous Caesarean section on reproductive outcomes after assisted reproductive technology: systematic review and meta-analyses

This meta-analysis investigated whether a previous Caesarean section has an impact on the outcomes of treatment with assisted reproductive technology (ART). PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched. Clinical trials published in English up to May 2020 were included. Seven studies performed between 2016 and 2020 met all the inclusion criteria. It was found that previous Caesarean section leads to significantly decreased clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) (risk ratio [RR] 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81, 0.92; P < 0.00001) and live birth rate (LBR) (RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.73, 0.86; P < 0.00001). Caesarean section increased the miscarriage rate (RR 1.39; 95% CI 1.18, 1.64; P < 0.0001), and difficult transfer (RR 8.23; 95% CI 4.63, 14.65; P < 0.00001) after ART compared with women who had previous vaginal delivery. The combined results also showed similar endometrial thickness, number of oocytes retrieved, implantation rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, preterm birth and stillbirth between women with previous Caesarean section and women with previous vaginal delivery. In conclusion, Caesarean sections have a detrimental effect on CPR and LBR, and increase the risk of miscarriage and difficult transfer. The indications for Caesarean section should be strictly controlled, and full consultation should be provided to pregnant women. Further studies with stratification analysis of twin and single pregnancies are needed to evaluate the impact of Caesarean section.

Association Between Mode of First Delivery and Subsequent Fecundity and Fertility

IMPORTANCE

More than 20% of births globally are by cesarean delivery, including more than 30% in the US. Prior studies have reported lower rates of childbearing after cesarean delivery, but it is not clear if this is due to maternal choice or lower conception rates.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between mode of first delivery and subsequent conceptions and live births.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

The First Baby Study was a multicenter prospective cohort study of women aged 18 to 35 years with singleton pregnancies, enrolled and interviewed before first childbirth, who delivered in Pennsylvania from 2009 to 2011 and were followed up for 36 months after delivery (until April 2014). Data analysis for this study took place between May and July 2019 and in January 2020.

EXPOSURES

Mode of first delivery (cesarean or vaginal).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Rates of subsequent conceptions and live births. Discrete-time Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to compare the rate of subsequent conception (vaginal vs cesarean) among those who completed the 36-month survey, accounting for reported months of unprotected intercourse during the follow-up period and adjusting for relevant covariates. A log binomial regression was used to compare the age-adjusted rate of subsequent live birth (vaginal vs cesarean) among those who completed the 36-month survey.

RESULTS

The study population consisted of 2423 women who were retained to the 36-month survey (mean [SD] age at baseline was 27.2 [4.4] years and 712 [29.4%] delivered by cesarean). There were 2046 women who had unprotected intercourse during the follow-up period, 2021 of whom provided data on months of unprotected intercourse. Cesarean delivery was associated with lower rates of conception after unprotected intercourse during the follow-up period (413 of 599 [68.9%]) compared with vaginal delivery (1090 of 1422 [76.7%]) (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74-0.96). Cesarean delivery was also associated with reduced likelihood of a subsequent live birth (305 women [42.8%]) compared with vaginal delivery (857 women [50.1%]), with an age-adjusted risk ratio of 0.83 (95% CI, 0.75-0.92).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In the 3 years following first childbirth, women who delivered their first child by cesarean had lower rates of conception after unprotected intercourse, and fewer of these women had a second child than those who delivered vaginally.

Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders in women with spontaneous abortion in Germany - A retrospective cohort study

The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders in women within the year following miscarriage in Germany. This study included women between the ages of 16 and 45 with a first pregnancy terminated by spontaneous abortion between January 2007 and December 2015 (index date). These women were followed in 262 gynecological practices. Women with a spontaneous abortion were matched (1:1) with pregnant women without spontaneous abortion by age, index year, diagnosis of female infertility prior to the index date, procreative management prior to the index date, and physician. This retrospective cohort study included 12,158 women with a spontaneous abortion and 12,158 pregnant women without a spontaneous abortion. The mean age was 31.6 (SD: 5.5).years. One year after the index date, 8.9% of women with spontaneous abortion and 5.7% of controls were diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or adjustment disorder. Individuals who had previously undergone a spontaneous abortion were more likely to have one of these three psychiatric disorders compared to controls (OR = 1.53). Similar results were found in the age groups 21-30 and 31-40. Spontaneous abortion is associated with an increased prevalence of developing psychiatric diseases within the first year.