Association between parity and ovarian reserve in reproductive age women

Objective: A number of factors affect ovarian reserve. In this study, we investigate the association between parity and ovarian reserve in reproductive age women. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 186 women aged 20-35 years. The participants were divided into two main groups. Group A (n = 93) included women with at least one parity (pregnancy after 28 weeks), while group B (n = 93) included women with no history of pregnancy. We evaluated the following factors related to ovarian reserve: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), ovarian antral follicles, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), and ovarian volume. Results: A total of 186 women with a mean age of 27.83 +/- 4.49 years enrolled in this study. There was a difference in mean AMH between the nulliparous (2.53 +/- 1.90 ng/ml) and multiparous (3.54 +/- 1.42 ng/ml) groups (p < 0.001). FSH levels were from 5.27 +/- 1.8 mIU/mL in nulliparous women to 5.01 +/- 1.9 mIU/mL in multiparous women, which did not significantly differ (p = 0.36). Antral follicles and ovarian size in multiparous women increased significantly (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Parity has a significant association with higher levels of ovarian reserve markers. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.