The impact of fertility treatment on the neonatal respiratory outcomes and amniotic lamellar body counts in twin pregnancies

Background: To elucidate the impact of fertility treatment on neonatal respiratory outcomes and amniotic lamellar body counts (LBCs) in twin pregnancies.

Methods: One hundred ninety twin pairs, including 99 dichorionic twin (DCT) and 91 monochorionic twin (MCT) pairs were registered at our institutions. All amniotic fluid samples were obtained from each sac at cesarean section. Samples were analyzed immediately after arrival at the laboratory without centrifugation. We divided the patients into 3 groups: the no therapy group (natural conception), the induced ovulation group (with or without intrauterine insemination), and the assisted reproductive technology (ART) group (in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection).

Results: No statistically significant associations between the fertility treatment and the rates of neonatal RDS/TTN were observed in the whole study population (odds ratio [OR], 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-2.00), DCT (OR, 0.86; 95%CI, 0.30-2.47), and MCT (OR, 1.45; 95%CI, 0.41-5.11). In addition, there was no association between the fertility treatment and neonatal RDS/TTN in the propensity score analysis of the whole study population (OR, 1.25; 95%CI, 0.57-2.74).

Conclusions: None of the individual types of fertility treatment had a direct impact on respiratory disorders such as RDS and TTN in twin infants.