Long-term outcome of parenthood project during in vitro fertilization and after discontinuation of unsuccessful in vitro fertilization
Received 14 March 2008; received in revised form 7 May 2008; accepted 16 May 2008. published online 14 August 2008.
Objective
To explore the long-term outcome of patients who began IVF treatment by considering not only treatment outcome in the center but also the parenthood project outcome after discontinuation of unsuccessful IVF.
Design
Retrospective cohort follow-up study.
Setting
Two French IVF centers.
Patient(s)
Seven hundred twenty-four patients who began IVF treatment in 1998.
Intervention(s)
Postal and phone contacts with unsuccessful IVF patients.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
Long-term outcome of parenthood project.
Result(s)
Of the 724 patients, a minimum of 53% and a maximum of 81% finally succeeded in their parenthood project during or after IVF treatment (depending on the hypotheses that the 204 patients not contacted either failed or succeeded in their parenthood project). An intermediate hypothesis gave an estimation of 66% of patients finally succeeding in having a child (40% during IVF treatment in the center and 26% after). Achievement of the parenthood project after IVF discontinuation was due mainly to adoption of a child (46%) or a birth following a spontaneous pregnancy (42%).
Conclusion(s)
Unsuccessful patients should not lose hope, because nearly half may subsequently succeed in having a child.
cUniversité Paris-Sud 11, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
dUnité de FIV, CHU de Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
eUnité de Médecine de la Reproduction, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique II, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France
Reprint requests: Elise de La Rochebrochard, Ph.D., INSERM-INED U822, Porte 26, 82, rue du Général Leclerc, F-94276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre Cedex, France (FAX: 33-1-45-21-20-75).
E.d.L.R. has nothing to disclose. C.Q. has nothing to disclose. R.P. has nothing to disclose. J.G. has nothing to disclose. J.B. has nothing to disclose.
ABSTRACT