Comparison of Symptomatology in Taiwanese Women Pregnant With and Without Assisted Reproductive Technology

We compared the symptoms of 91 Taiwanese women, 50 pregnant by assisted reproductive technology (ART), with those of 41 women, pregnant without assistance. They completed a self-administered demographic questionnaire and symptomatology inventory (SI) during each trimester. The ART group had a higher frequency of complications and hospitalizations than the unassisted women. No significant differences were found in physical and affective symptoms in the ART group across three trimesters, but significant differences were found in the unassisted group. In addition, ART and non-ART women differed in types of individual symptoms experienced each trimester. These findings suggest the need for nurses to assess each group for the presence of specific symptoms throughout pregnancy and to provide individualized symptom management. ? 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.