2/18/2005 Infertility increases risk of neonatal death

A study just published in the British Medical Journal indicates that couples who take longer to conceive, are at greater risk for having babies that die. This is a very important study.

The study looked at Danish women who were enrolled in a large cohort study. The authors studied 27,329 births over a three year period. Only first born births were counted. In that group there were 66 babies who died within the first 28 days. This is known as the neonatal death rate. (The neonatal period is from birth to 28 days).

The mothers had been interviewed during their pregnancies and asked about pregnancy planning and other factors. Women who reported having planned or partly planned their pregnancy were asked how long it had taken them to conceive. If the answer was six months or longer, they were further asked whether they had
received infertility treatment.

They were then separated into 5 groups based on how long it took them to conceive:

Two months or less;

3-12 months;

More than 12 months but with no infertility treatment;

More than12 months and also had fertility treatment

Those women who had unplanned pregnancies (weren't trying)

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