Objective  To compare the efficiency of natural cycle scheme for freeze-thaw blastomere transplantation (NC-FET), hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) combined with HRT (GnRH-a-HRT) for embryo transplantation in pregnant women with elder age.

  Methods  A total of 2 599 cycles were collected from pregnant women with frozen-thaw cleavage embryo transplantation. According to the endometrial preparation plan, they were divided into natural cycle cleavage embryo transplantation group (NC group, 351 cycles), HRT group (1 552 cycles) and GnRH-a-HRT group (696 cycles). Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was monitored at 14 days after embryo transplantation. Clinical pregnancy was confirmed by B-mode ultrasonography at 28 days after embryo transplantation. The clinical pregnancy rate, early abortion rate, late abortion rate, ectopic pregnancy rate and live birth rate were compared among the three groups.

  Results  There were no significant differences in the number of cycles, age, distribution of infertility types, intima thickness, number of embryos transferred and number of good embryos transferred among the three groups (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in clinical pregnancy rate, early abortion rate, late abortion rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, multiple pregnancy rate and live birth rate among the three groups (P>0.05).

  Conclusion  Three endometrial preparation schemes have similar effects for embryo transplantation in pregnant women with elder age, and the corresponding schemes should be formulated according to the specific conditions of patients in clinic.