A recent study published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology highlights a concerning connection between trisomic pregnancies and a heightened risk of infertility diagnoses later in life. The research, led by Satu W. and colleagues, utilized comprehensive data from a nationwide cohort study in Finland to explore this association.
The study analyzed records from the Registry of Congenital Malformations and the Finnish Maternity Cohort, focusing on women who experienced pregnancies with trisomy between 1987 and 2018. The study included cases of trisomy 13 (n=351), trisomy 18 (n=1065), and trisomy 21 (n=4369), all matched with population controls based on age, residence, and pregnancy timing. These cases were linked to diagnoses from the National Care Registry for Health Care, covering the period from 1996 to 2019. The analysis concentrated on inflammatory disorders (ICD-10: N70-N77) and non-inflammatory disorders of the genital tract (ICD-10: N80-N98), using crude odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals to estimate associations.
Key findings from the study include:
Women with a history of trisomic pregnancies had a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with female infertility (ICD-10: N97), with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.19 (95% CI: 1.08-1.32).
The association was most significant for trisomy 18 (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.03-1.61) and trisomy 21 (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.04-1.32), while trisomy 13 did not show a significant association (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.75-1.72).
Infertility diagnoses occurred more frequently after the index trisomic pregnancy (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.56-2.09).
Elevated odds of infertility were observed in both women under 35 years (trisomy 18 OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.21-3.00; trisomy 21 OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.31-2.14) and women 35 years or older (trisomy 18 OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.40-3.33; trisomy 21 OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.47-2.39), with no significant findings related to trisomy 13.
The researchers suggest that these findings point to a potential link between trisomic pregnancies and subsequent infertility diagnoses. Although the study does not establish causation, it underscores the importance of considering reproductive history when managing infertility. The results imply that some common mechanisms might predispose women to both trisomy and infertility, irrespective of age.
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