The impact of male infertility or intracytoplasmic sperm injection technique on perinatal outcomes

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of male infertility or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technique on perinatal outcomes.

Materials and methods

A retrospective cohort study included patients with singleton live births after fresh-cycle embryo transfer that occurred between 1^st January 2016 and 31^st May 2018. The patients were divided into four groups: (1) IVF treatment without male infertility; (2) ICSI treatment without male infertility; (3) ICSI treatment with male infertility; and (4) IVF treatment with male infertility.

Result

In total, 2118 patients were analyzed. When comparing perinatal outcomes between the four groups, there were significant differences with regard to gender proportions of offspring and GDM. No statistically significant differences were reported in the incidence of preterm birth, gestational hypertension, placenta previa, fetal malformation, macrosomia, or low birthweight. A separate multiple logistic regression model was performed for each abnormal perinatal outcome to eliminate confounding factors, with the exception of GDM, the above abnormal perinatal outcomes still did not differ significantly when comparing the four groups. However, the incidence of GDM was higher in the third group than it was in the first group. The proportion of male births was significantly decreased in the third and fourth groups.

Conclusion

The results showed that ICSI may be associated with the risk of GDM in abnormal perinatal outcomes, but the risk is not due to male infertility. However, male infertility may reduce the proportion of male births.

Keywords:

• Gestational diabetes mellitus
• ICSI
• male births
• male infertility

Acknowledgments

Thanks for the outstanding support provided by the whole staff of our Reproductive Medicine Center and obstetric ward.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by National Key R&D Program of China [2016YFC1000206-5] and National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 81571439].