Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34724170›Full record

ArticleReproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)2022

Expectant Management Before In vitro Fertilization in Women Aged 39 or Above and Unexplained Infertility Does Not Decrease Live Birth Rates Compared to Immediate Treatment.

Andrea Roberto Carosso, Rik van Eekelen, Alberto Revelli, Stefano Canosa, Noemi Mercaldo, Ilaria Stura, Stefano Cosma, Carlotta Scarafia, Chiara Benedetto, Gianluca Gennarelli

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. SARS-CoV-2, fertility and assisted reproduction.Human reproduction update · 2023
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Andrea Roberto CarossoObstetrics and Gynecology 1U, Physiopathology of Reproduction and IVF Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Sant' Anna Hospital, University of Turin, Via Ventimiglia 1, 10126, Turin, Italy. andrea88.carosso@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-7734-4499
Rik van EekelenCentre for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Academic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Alberto RevelliObstetrics and Gynecology 1U, Physiopathology of Reproduction and IVF Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Sant' Anna Hospital, University of Turin, Via Ventimiglia 1, 10126, Turin, Italy.
Stefano CanosaObstetrics and Gynecology 1U, Physiopathology of Reproduction and IVF Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Sant' Anna Hospital, University of Turin, Via Ventimiglia 1, 10126, Turin, Italy.
Noemi MercaldoObstetrics and Gynecology 1U, Physiopathology of Reproduction and IVF Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Sant' Anna Hospital, University of Turin, Via Ventimiglia 1, 10126, Turin, Italy.
Ilaria SturaDepartment of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
Stefano CosmaObstetrics and Gynecology 1U, Physiopathology of Reproduction and IVF Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Sant' Anna Hospital, University of Turin, Via Ventimiglia 1, 10126, Turin, Italy.
Carlotta ScarafiaObstetrics and Gynecology 1U, Physiopathology of Reproduction and IVF Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Sant' Anna Hospital, University of Turin, Via Ventimiglia 1, 10126, Turin, Italy.
Chiara BenedettoObstetrics and Gynecology 1U, Physiopathology of Reproduction and IVF Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Sant' Anna Hospital, University of Turin, Via Ventimiglia 1, 10126, Turin, Italy.
Gianluca GennarelliObstetrics and Gynecology 1U, Physiopathology of Reproduction and IVF Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Sant' Anna Hospital, University of Turin, Via Ventimiglia 1, 10126, Turin, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Unexplained infertile couples can have further expectant management before starting assisted reproductive treatments. However, ovarian reserve and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes rapidly decline after 39 years or more. It is thus important to clarify whether a waiting policy is also appropriate for women of advanced age. Couples who had access to a waiting list for approximately 1 year before receiving reimbursed public IVF were compared with those paying for access to immediate treatment. To allow for comparisons between these two strategies, we followed up couples who opted to pay for 1 year after the last embryo transfer from their first cycle. We calculated the proportion of live births in both groups and compared these using logistic regression models and a two-sample Z test for equality of proportions. Six hundred thirty-five couples were evaluated. Out of 359 couples in the immediate group, 70 (19.5%) had a live birth of which 11 after natural conception and 59 after IVF. Out of 276 couples in the waiting group, 57 (20.7%) had a live birth of which 37 after natural conception and 20 after IVF. There was no statistically significant difference between the two strategies in terms of the crude cumulative live birth rate (cLBR). The adjusted odds ratio of 0.69 (95%CI:0.39-1.22) did not change this conclusion as our sensitivity analyses. The cLBR for the 'waiting before IVF' and the 'immediate' strategies were similar. Further studies are needed to better characterize couples affected by unexplained infertility in order to individualize treatment strategies.

Indexed as

Birth RateInfertilityFemaleFertilization in VitroHumansLive BirthOvulation InductionPregnancyPregnancy RateWatchful WaitingAdvanced ageExpectant managementIndividual prognosesIVFNatural conceptionUnexplained infertility

Identifiers

PMID34724170
PMCPMC8559689

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.