Assisted reproductive technology and the risk of preeclampsia: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The objective of this systematic review and meta-analyses was to assess the risk of preeclampsia among women who conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART). Methods We searched the ISI Web of Knowledge, Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and Embase (from inception to May 2017) for English language articles using a list of key words. In addition, reference lists from identified studies and relevant review articles were also searched. Data extraction was performed by two authors, and the study quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Random-effects model meta-analysis was applied to pool the relative risks (RR) across studies. Results A total of 48 studies (5 case-control studies and 43 cohort studies) were included in this meta-analysis. The Cochran Q test and I2 statistics revealed substantial heterogeneity (Q = 26,313.92, d.f. = 47, p