Many women and couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment are in a hurry. They are often painfully aware of their «biological clocks,» as many of these patients are in their mid to late thirties and may also desire more than one child.
Many may have waited for months, and sometimes years, before seeking fertility care (1). Perhaps others have experienced months more of additional delay in the form of previous unsuccessful fertility treatments (i.e., clomiphene citrate, letrozole, gonadotropins with and without IUI) before their first ART attempt.
However, based on findings published by Quinn and her colleagues (2), it would seem prudent that women consider taking a «gap year» after delivery before a subsequent FET is performed—essentially, to plan to extend the interpregnancy interval to greater than 12 months to decrease the probability of a preterm infant and all its associated attendant risks and potential life-altering morbidities.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recommended that «women should be advised to avoid interpregnancy intervals shorter than 6 months and should be counseled about the risks and benefits of repeat pregnancy sooner than 18 months».
David B. Seifer, M.D., Amanda N. Kallen, M.D.
Fertility and Sterility, June 2019 Volume 111, Issue 6, Pages 1109−1110
