Data from six studies found the risk of pre-eclampsia was far higher in IVF pregnancies than among those conceived naturally.
The research has been analysed by US experts, who pooled information from six different studies.
They suggest that exposing embryos to in vitro culture may cause minor changes and lead to poor development of the placenta.
The condition usually occurs from around 20 weeks of pregnancy and affects 70,000 women in the UK every year.
In severe cases, women will be admitted to hospital and the baby may need to be delivered prematurely.
Complications caused by the condition lead to the death of a few women and several hundred babies every year in the UK.
It can lead to women suffering high blood pressure, convulsions, blood clots, liver damage and kidney failure, protein in the urine and fluid retention.
It can also cause issues with the placenta and can lead to growth problems in the baby.
The research is being presented at the
American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference in Orlando.
