PA
A study in America has found the risk of pre-eclampsia in mums-to-be increases by a massive 41% if they have undergone IVF treatment.
Pre-eclampsia is potentially fatal for both mother and baby and usually occurs around 20 weeks into pregnancy - it can lead to soaring blood pressure, fluid retention and protein in the urine.
Medics do not know the exact causes of the condition, but it affects the placenta and the baby's growth. In less severe cases, it can be monitored closely, but some women will be admitted to hospital for possible early delivery. Pre-eclampsia can lead to eclampsia, a type of life-threatening seizure.
Experts from US universities and research centres, including the National Institutes of Health, pooled data from six studies in this latest research, and found the risk of pre-eclampsia was much higher in IVF pregnancies than among those conceived naturally.
The researchers will present their findings at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) conference in Orlando.
Did you suffer from pre-eclampsia?