OBJECTIVE: To compare pregnancy and perinatal outcomes between in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out to measure pre-clinical and clinical abortion, ectopic pregnancies, multiple gestations, birth weight, gestational age, congenital malformation and perinatal mortality in patients receiving either IVF-ET (n = 143, group 1) or ICSI (n = 173, group 2) from January 1999 to June 2001. The outcomes of singleton and twin were compared separately. RESULTS: The maternal age, infertility duration, parity and the number of transferred embryo were comparable between the two groups. There were no significant differences in abortion rate (16.1% vs 13.3%), birth rate (65.7% vs 74.6%) between IVF-ET and ICSI groups (P > 0.05). In singleton, the rates of low birth weight, small for gestational age and pre-term birth were 1.8%, 7.3%, 5.5% respectively in IVF-ET group and 6.8%, 8.1%, 14.9% respectively in ICSI group. In twin, the rates of low birth weight, small for gestational age and pre-term birth were 34.2%, 30.3%, 42.1% respectively in IVF-ET group and 42.6%, 38.0%, 46.3% respectively in ICSI group. There were no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). But the rates of low birth weight, small for gestational age and pre-term birth were higher in twin than in singleton (P < 0.01). The incidence of congenital malformation was 2.2% and 1.6% in IVF-ET and ICSI group respectively (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The pregnancy and perinatal outcomes are similar between IVF-ET and ICSI groups. Twin is the main cause of low birth weight, small for gestational age and pre-term birth.
OBJECTIVE: To compare pregnancy and perinatal outcomes between in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out to measure pre-clinical and clinical abortion, ectopic pregnancies, multiple gestations, birth weight, gestational age, congenital malformation and perinatal mortality in patients receiving either IVF-ET (n = 143, group 1) or ICSI (n = 173, group 2) from January 1999 to June 2001. The outcomes of singleton and twin were compared separately. RESULTS: The maternal age, infertility duration, parity and the number of transferred embryo were comparable between the two groups. There were no significant differences in abortion rate (16.1% vs 13.3%), birth rate (65.7% vs 74.6%) between IVF-ET and ICSI groups (P > 0.05). In singleton, the rates of low birth weight, small for gestational age and pre-term birth were 1.8%, 7.3%, 5.5% respectively in IVF-ET group and 6.8%, 8.1%, 14.9% respectively in ICSI group. In twin, the rates of low birth weight, small for gestational age and pre-term birth were 34.2%, 30.3%, 42.1% respectively in IVF-ET group and 42.6%, 38.0%, 46.3% respectively in ICSI group. There were no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). But the rates of low birth weight, small for gestational age and pre-term birth were higher in twin than in singleton (P < 0.01). The incidence of congenital malformation was 2.2% and 1.6% in IVF-ET and ICSI group respectively (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The pregnancy and perinatal outcomes are similar between IVF-ET and ICSI groups. Twin is the main cause of low birth weight, small for gestational age and pre-term birth.