After IVF treatment one woman in seven is hospitalised with serious complications, Finnish researchers have found. This is almost twice the number for natural pregnancies, says Dr Reija Klemetti, of the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health in Helsinki. “Though there was a low risk of complications after each IVF treatment cycle, repeated attempts resulted in serious complications for many women,” she says.

The research was based on a survey of 20,000 women. The complications include miscarriages, bleeding, ectopic pregnancies and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The study had been carried out because the incidence of complications due to IVF was “poorly understood”, said Dr Klemetti. It was originally reported in the journal Human Reproduction.

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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