Women who conceived through in vitro fertilization and delivered at Saint Paul Hospital in Addis Ababa experienced unfavorable perinatal outcomes in 22.51 percent of cases, according to a retrospective record review published in Contraception and Reproductive Medicine. The figure, drawn from 422 deliveries between July 29, 2019 and December 30, 2023, comes with a 95 percent confidence interval of 18.5 to 26.5 percent, and the authors report it is lower than the rates seen in earlier studies.
The study, led by Abera Lambebo with colleagues including Solomon Hailemeskel, examined reproductive-age women who conceived following IVF at the hospital’s IVF clinic. Because it was a retrospective review of records supplemented by structured questionnaires and telephone interviews, it captures what happened to deliveries at a single Ethiopian center rather than measuring outcomes across the country or establishing how IVF itself changes perinatal risk.
To identify which factors were linked to poor outcomes, the researchers used Epi Data Version 4.6 and STATA Version 14 for analysis, applying multiple binary logistic regression as the final model. Variables that met a prespecified criterion in bivariable analysis were entered into the multivariable model, and results were reported as adjusted odds ratios with 95 percent confidence intervals.
Five factors remained associated with unfavorable perinatal outcomes after adjustment. Advanced maternal age carried an adjusted odds ratio of 1.6 (95 percent CI: 1.02 to 2.5), and preeclampsia an adjusted odds ratio of 1.61 (95 percent CI: 1.03 to 2.50). Gestational diabetes mellitus was associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.28 (95 percent CI: 1.02 to 5.09), vaginal bleeding due to abruptio placenta with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.21 (95 percent CI: 1.42 to 3.41), and twin pregnancy with an adjusted odds ratio of 4.36 (95 percent CI: 1.07 to 17.73).
Twin pregnancy had the highest adjusted odds ratio in the model (4.36), though its confidence interval of 1.07 to 17.73 was wide, indicating less precision around that estimate.
The authors’ conclusion also lists preterm premature rupture of membranes (PROM) among the obstetric complications linked to unfavorable outcomes, alongside preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and abruptio placenta. The abstract’s results section reports adjusted estimates for advanced maternal age, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, abruptio placenta and twin pregnancy.
The study was conducted in a resource-constrained setting where evidence on perinatal outcomes following IVF has been limited. Assisted reproductive technology encompasses a range of fertility treatments involving the manipulation of oocytes, sperm or embryos, with IVF being one specific form of that technology.
Because the analysis is retrospective and confined to one hospital, the findings describe associations observed at Saint Paul Hospital rather than causal effects applicable everywhere, and the confidence intervals indicate varying degrees of precision around each estimate. The article was published open access on October 16, 2026, and is being shared early as a peer-reviewed, accepted version that remains citable and carries a permanent DOI, subject to further edits before the final version of record.
Subject of Research: Perinatal outcomes and associated factors among women who conceived through in vitro fertilization and delivered at Saint Paul Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Article Title: Perinatal outcomes following in vitro fertilization among reproductive-age women at Saint Paul Hospital, (IVF) Clinic, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Article References: Lambebo, A., Habtamu, R., Mezemir, Y., Petros, T., & Hailemeskel, S. (2026). Perinatal outcomes following in vitro fertilization among reproductive-age women at Saint Paul Hospital, (IVF) Clinic, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Contraception and Reproductive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40834-026-00479-3
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s40834-026-00479-3
Keywords: in vitro fertilization, perinatal outcomes, Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, retrospective study, twin pregnancy, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, abruptio placenta, advanced maternal age, assisted reproductive technology, Saint Paul Hospital
News Source: Harold Sullivan. (October 28, 2026). Research report: Perinatal outcomes following in vitro fertilization among reproductive-age women at Saint Paul Hospital, (IVF) Clinic, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Scienmag.
