A comparison of quality of life following spontaneous conception and assisted reproduction.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the levels of and changes in quality of life (QoL) during pregnancy between couples who conceived spontaneously and couples who underwent successful treatment by assisted reproductive technology (ART). METHODS: In a survey at the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, Reggio Emilia, Italy, between September 11, 2009, and May 25, 2011, 230 individuals (57 ART couples and 58 couples who conceived spontaneously) completed Short-Form 36 on QoL at 22 and 32 gestational weeks. RESULTS: Compared with men, women had lower scores in most dimensions of QoL regardless of the method of conception; women also showed a decrease in physical and social QoL during pregnancy that was not evident among men. Compared with non-ART couples, ART couples had lower physical (especially women) and social QoL; ART couples also showed a decrease in social QoL from the second to the third trimester that was not observed among non-ART couples. CONCLUSION: The results underline the higher burden that pregnancy represents for women on a physical and social level. ART treatment seems to increase the negative impact of pregnancy on QoL in the couple as a whole; early support in adjusting to the realities and demands of pregnancy might prove beneficial for these future parents.