Differences in Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes Between Pregnancies Following Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): A Review.

Pregnancies following Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) are associated with increased risk for adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, it is not clear if these associations are derived from infertility or fertility treatment itself. The goal of this review is to investigate if there are differences in maternal and neonatal outcomes between pregnancies conceived through either intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) to obtain an estimate of the effect of the fertility treatment. We retrospectively reviewed the literature for original studies comparing maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnancies following IUI to those following IVF. To reduce confounding, our synthesis focuses on singleton gestations, while excluding donor sperm and multifetal pregnancies. Findings are interpreted alongside recent ART vs. non-ART evidence to contextualize potential treatment-related effects. Most studies suggest no difference in maternal outcomes, but outcomes were inconsistently reported between studies. Neonatal outcomes were more consistently reported, and there was less variation between results. Current evidence does not suggest a large difference in neonatal outcomes between IVF and IUI. However, almost all studies have significant limitations that hinder clear conclusions. To summarize, even though the current literature does not suggest significant differences in maternal and neonatal outcomes following IVF and IUI, further high-quality studies are needed to establish a definite correlation.