Thrombo-Prophylactic Effects of Low Molecular Weight Heparin in Women Without Thrombophilic Disorder Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

In this placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial, we aimed to investigate the effect of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on the assisted reproductive technology (ART) success rate in women without thrombophilic disorder undergoing assisted reproductive technology.

The study population consisted of 276 patients referred to the infertility center at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) for the first time. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups (control group = 137 women who underwent IVF and received placebo; case group = 139 women who underwent IVF and received LMWH). The case group was treated with LMWH and the control group received placebo. Specifications for egg harvesting, processing sperm, the number of fertilized eggs and embryos, the number of frozen and transferred embryos, and the IVF outcome were assessed.

The mean age of subjects was 32.59 ± 4.41 years old in the case group and 32.62 ± 5.18 in the control group (p = 0.955). The final outcome of IVF treatment in the control group was treatment failure (62%), clinical pregnancy (21.2%), chemical pregnancy (5.9%), and live birth (7.3%), while in the case group, it was treatment failure (48.2 %), clinical pregnancy (21.6%), chemical pregnancy (2.2%), and live births (28.1%). There was a significant difference in IVF outcome in the two groups (P < 0.001).

Given the significant difference in the number of live births and reduction of pregnancy complications in the LMWH group, it can be concluded that LMWH prophylaxis may be effective in ART success.