Uterine fibroids linked to increased time to conception

Takeaway

• A diagnosis of uterine fibroids, prior to or after pregnancy, is associated with a longer time to pregnancy (TTP) in a large Danish cohort.

Why this matters

• There is an association between fertility treatment and the presence of uterine fibroids.

Study design

• Historical cohort study.
• Cohort identified from the Danish National Birth Cohort and the Danish National Patient Registry using ICD codes.
• The study population was divided into 4 groups:
  • group 1: pregnancies in women without fibroids (n=91,292);
  • group 2: pregnancies in women with a fibroid diagnosed prior to pregnancy (n=124);
  • group 3: pregnancies in women with a fibroid diagnosed ≥1 year after delivery (n=963); and
  • group 4: pregnancies in women following a procedure to remove fibroid prior to pregnancy (n=317).
• Funding: Individual funding to an author.

Key results

• A diagnosis of uterine fibroids increased TTP:
  • Women in group 2 had a longer TTP compared with group 1: aOR, 1.67 (95% CI, 1.05-6.68).
  • Women in group 3 had a longer TTP than women in group 1: aOR, 1.24 (95% CI, 1.04-1.47).
• Women in group 4 were not adequately assessed because of uncertain data.

Limitations

• Errors in coding may have led to misclassification.