Hormonal Agents · Gonadotropins
Quenby S et al., 1994 · Fertil Steril
To investigate the efficacy of hCG in the management of recurrent early pregnancy loss. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Miscarriage Clinic, Women's Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom. Eighty-one women attending the miscarriage clinic with idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss were randomized to receive hCG supplementation or placebo in early pregnancy. The success rate or live birth rate. In women with regular menstrual cycles it was found that hCG had no beneficial effect, the pregnancy success rate being 86% in both groups. However, women with oligomenorrhea had a pregnancy success rate of 40% in the placebo group but a statistically significant improvement to 86% if hCG was given. Human chorionic gonadotropin can be recommended for idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss in women with oligomenorrhea.
Hormonal Agents · Gonadotropins
Svigos J, 1982 · Clin Reprod Fertil
A preliminary study of 'screened' women with two consecutive miscarriages revealed an incidence of abortion in 47.4% in a subsequent pregnancy whilst hCG therapy in a similar group of women where biochemical monitoring with plasma progesterone suggested a potentially jeopardized pregnancy resulted in a continuing pregnancy in 92.3% of treated women. An urgent need for a true randomized double-blind evaluation of this therapy has been established in order to re-examine the therapeutic nihilism which currently pervades the management of women with recurrent abortion.
Hormonal Agents · Gonadotropins
Kurtzman JT et al., 2001 · Semin Reprod Med
The role of human chorionic gonadatropin (hCG) in the maintenance of early pregnancy is well known. Recent data suggests that hCG may play a role in the maintenance of the later stages of pregnancy as well, by directly and indirectly promoting uterine quiescence. If hCG acts as an endogenous tocolytic in normal pregnancy, then it may be an ideal candidate for therapy of preterm labor as well. We present compelling in vitro as well as in vivo data, which support the role of hCG in the maintenance of normal uterine quiescence. Additionally, we will present in vivo and in vitro data that confirms the ability of hCG to directly promote relaxation of uterine contractions. This review provides a basis for future study of the use of hCG in clinical obstetrics. Given the limited effectiveness of tocolytic therapies available at the time, hCG may provide a promising pharmacological approach to the pervasive problem of preterm labor in human pregnancy. While further work is needed, initial data strongly support this novel use of hCG in clinical obstetrics.
Pregnancy Complications · Premature Rupture of Membranes
Goldzieher JW, 1964 · JAMA
Study of 54 habitual aborters with low or normal pregnanediol excretion, in a double-blind trial, revealed the spontaneous-salvage rate and the possible benefit of therapy with medroxyprogesterone acetate. The salvage rate in the placebo group with the worst prognosis (never a term pregnancy, low pregnanediol in the current pregnancy) was ten of 13, and the salvage rate in the other placebo groups showed no statistically significant difference. In view of this high spontaneous salvage rate, the numbers required to demonstrate a therapeutic effect of progestin administration are prohibitively large. This indicates the need for new criteria to pinpoint cases with a poor prognosis, and it raises the question whether habitual abortion is a disease entity or a statistical coincidence.