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Long-term cryopreservation and frozen embryo transfer do not impact clinical and neonatal outcomes: a retrospective cohort study of slow-frozen early-cleavage human embryos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2022

Biwei Shi ,
Long Cui ,
Xiaoqun Ye  and
Yinghui Ye Open the ORCID record for Yinghui Ye [Opens in a new window]
Biwei Shi
Affiliation:
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 2 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, China
Long Cui
Affiliation:
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 2 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, China
Xiaoqun Ye
Affiliation:
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 2 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, China
Yinghui Ye*
Affiliation:
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 2 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, China
*
Author for correspondence: Yinghui Ye. Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. 2 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 31006, China. Tel: +86 571 89993444. Fax: +86 571 87061878. E-mail: [email protected]
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Summary

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the cryopreservation duration (up to 160 months) on the clinical and neonatal outcomes of slow-frozen early-cleavage human embryos. Clinical data collected between February 2013 and August 2017 were included in this retrospective study. Cases were classified into five groups by the duration of cryopreservation: Group 1, 6–12 months; Group 2, 13–36 months; Group 3, 37–60 months; Group 4, 61–84 months; and Group 5, >84 months. The embryo survival rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, live-birth rate, newborn sex ratio, singleton gestational age, singleton birth weight and malformation rate were compared between the groups. The cryopreservation duration did not significantly affect the rates of clinical pregnancy (P = 0.119) and live birth (P = 0.354), the newborn sex ratio (P = 0.614) or the singleton gestational age (P = 0.212) and birthweight (P = 0.212). Although decreases in the embryo survival and implantation rates were observed in groups 4 and 5 compared with those in groups 1–3, these differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.329, P = 0.279, respectively). Long-term cryopreservation does not appear to adversely affect the clinical and neonatal outcomes of slow-frozen early-cleavage human embryos.

Keywords

Birth weightCryopreservationLive birthPregnancySiblings
Type
Research Article
Information
Zygote , Volume 30 , Issue 5 , October 2022 , pp. 712 - 718
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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