Is miscarriage more common after in vitro fertilization than natural conception?
There does not seem to be a significant difference in the miscarriage rates conceived naturally or through in vitro fertilization. The single most significant factor related to miscarriage is maternal age. The risk increases with advancing age. For a woman in the early twenties the miscarriage risk is approximately 12%, however, for a woman in her early forties the miscarriage rate is between 25 and 50%. Another factor which affects significantly the risk of spontaneous miscarriage is weight. For example, for women under the age of 35 and of normal weight, the risk of miscarriage is approximately 15%. For this same group of women who are in an obese category (with a body mass index over 30) the risk of miscarriage is 35%.
