JERUSALEM, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have found that pregnancies that occur despite the use of an intrauterine device (IUD) have a higher risk of complications, reported Tuesday by Israel's Ben Gurion University (BGU).
The study was conducted by BGU and Soroka Medical Center, both located in the southern city of Be'er Sheva.
IUD is one of the most common contraceptives in the world and is used by 23 percent of women who choose contraception.
It is a reversible contraceptive, which can be removed at any time, without impairing fertility.
Although the IUD is considered one of the safest contraception, its safety does not reach 100 percent.
The study looked at pregnancy outcomes in women who were pregnant despite the presence of the IUD, as well as the long-term neurodevelopmental morbidity of neonates of those women.
It was found that pregnancies that occurred despite using IUD had an increase in complications, including abruption separation, intrauterine infection and especially an increase in preterm birth rates.
Despite the increase in the early birth rate, no increase in the neurodevelopmental morbidity of the children was observed, even with long-term follow-up until the age of 18.
