Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Adverse Impact on Patients Undergoing Euploid Embryo Transfer

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) on pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing single euploid embryo transfers.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study at a reproductive medicine center. The study included 59 patients with IBS matched with 1406 patients without IBS who underwent single euploid embryo transfer. Main outcomes included live birth rate, pregnancy loss rate, and clinical pregnancy rate.

Results: The positive pregnancy rate was 67.7% in the IBS group and 71.0% in the control group. The clinical pregnancy rate was 45.8% in the IBS group and 63.0% in the control group. The live birth rate was 40.8% in the IBS group and 56.3% in the control group. The pregnancy loss rate was 38.5% in the IBS group compared to 21.3% in the control group. The adjusted odds of clinical pregnancy was 52.1% lower in patients with IBS (OR 0.479, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.82). The adjusted odds of live birth was 47.8% lower in patients with IBS (OR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.30, 0.90). The adjusted odds of pregnancy loss was 2.32 times higher in patients with IBS (OR 2.32, 95% CI: 1.16, 6.45).

Conclusion: In patients who underwent single euploid embryo transfer, patients with IBS had a lower likelihood of clinical pregnancy and live birth when compared to patients without IBS. Patients with IBS also had a higher likelihood of pregnancy loss. With little currently known about the effect of IBS on pregnancy outcomes, this study provides insight and suggests that IBS may have an adverse effect on pregnancy outcomes.