Ultrasound Diagnosis of Placental and Umbilical Cord Anomalies in Singleton Pregnancies Resulting From In-vitro Fertilization

Objectives: to identify which type of placental and umbilical cord abnormalities are more common in IVF singleton pregnancies; to investigate if heterologous fertilization is an additional risk factor for the development of these abnormalities. Methods: this was a multicenter prospective cohort study study involving two tertiary centres (S. Orsola Hospital, University of Bologna and Institute for Women's Health, University College of London). Patients with a singleton pregnancy conceived with IVF were consecutively recruited between May 2019 to January 2021. Each case was matched with a control presenting with a spontaneous pregnancy during the same period of time. All patients underwent similar antenatal care, which included ultrasound examinations at 11-14, 19-22 and 33-35 weeks. Ultrasound findings of placental and/or umbilical cord abnormalities were recorded in the two groups and confirmed after birth. The incidence of placental/cord findings in the study group was assessed using the chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test, where appropriate. Post-hoc pairwise comparisons were performed with the Fisher's exact test, using the Simes' method for false discovery rate control.