The first evidence that techniques used in assisted reproduction (ART) may be directly linked to an increase in placenta praevia, according to Norwegian researchers.

Placenta praevia is a potentially dangerous condition where the placenta covers or partially covers the cervix, thereby blocking the baby's passage through the birth canal. This condition is associated with serious and potentially life-threatening problems for mother and baby, including haemorrhage in the mother, either in before or after the birth, and the need for caesarean section in the case of total placenta praevia while the baby's risks include prematurity and perinatal problems.

"What this means in absolute terms is that after adjusting for factors such as maternal age, which tends to be higher in ART pregnancies, the risk of placenta praevia rose from about three in 1,000 births to 16 in 1,000 births for ART pregnancies compared with the general population, and from about seven in 1,000 births to 20 in 1,000 births for those who had both assisted and natural conceptions," said lead author Dr Liv Bente Romundstad, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at St Olavs University Hospital in Trondheim.

Read more at ESHRE.