These are the conclusions of a lecture I gave at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine in Atlanta, GA
1) About 18% of African-American women and 8% of white women have fibroids during pregnancy.
2) Only 30% of women have fibroids grow during pregnancy and most of the growth is within first three months.
3) The risk of fibroid degeneration that leads to pain and early contractions is very small (5%).
4) There is a small increased risk of early delivery (3 weeks or more) in women with fibroids (19% v 13% of women without fibroids).
5) There is a small increased risk of heavy bleeding after delivery of the baby in women with fibroids (8% v 3% of women without fibroids).
6) There is an increased risk of breech (13% v 8% of women without fibroids).
7) There is a greater risk of having a Cesarean Section (49% v 21% of women without fibroids)
8) There is essentially no risk of fibroids injuring the baby.
Also see this webpage: www.fibroidsecondopinion.com/fibroids-and-pregnancy
