A controlled comparison of ovarian response to controlled stimulation in first generation Asian women compared with white Caucasians undergoing in vitro fertilisation

OBJECTIVE: To compare ovarian response to controlled stimulation among Asian women from the Indian sub-continent and white Caucasian women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF). DESIGN: Nested case-control study. SETTING: Assisted Conception Unit, Birmingham Women's Hospital. SAMPLE: One hundred and eight first generation Asian patients (born in the Indian sub-continent) and 216 white Caucasian controls, all of whom received IVF treatment in the period 1994 to 1997, were selected for the study. The two groups were matched for age to within one year, early follicular phase follicle stimulating hormone, indication for treatment, gonadotrophin dose and year of treatment. The outcome of treatment was not known when the controls were selected. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the duration of stimulation, egg number, number of embryos produced, fertilisation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, cycle cancellation rate and implantation rate. CONCLUSION: Under the same IVF protocol Asian women's response to controlled ovarian stimulation and IVF outcome are comparable to their white Caucasian peers.