Preliminary experience with the use of human chorionic gonadotrophin therapy in women with repeated abortion

Human chorionic gonadotropin supplementation in recurring pregnancy loss: a controlled trial

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.

Treatment of habitual abortion with human chorionic gonadotropin: results of open and placebo-controlled studies

Harrison RF, 1985 · Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol

Human chorionic gonadotropin was administered intramuscularly in an open study of 32 women whose last three pregnancies had ended in spontaneous abortion. An initial dosage of 10 000 iu on earliest diagnosis of pregnancy was followed up by 5000 IU twice weekly up to wk 12, then once weekly up to wk 16. Only 2 of the 32 patients aborted (6.2%). Using the same regime a further 20 habitual aborters were randomly allocated double-blind to either hCG or placebo. All 10 women on active therapy continued (100%) compared with only 3 on placebo (30%) (P less than 0.01). These results suggest that hCG should be considered as treatment in women with habitual abortion where other specific causes have been ruled out and a potentially treatable hormonal imbalance surmised.

Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in the management of recurrent abortion; results of a multi-centre placebo-controlled study

Harrison RF, 1992 · Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol

An international ten-centre double-blind trial comparing hCG with placebo in the management of habitual abortion was conducted. The dose regime for hCG used was 10,000 IU i.m. on first diagnosis of pregnancy, 5000 IU thence twice weekly to week 12, followed by once weekly up to week 16. Identical ampoulage of placebo was used. Seventy-five patients completed the trial. Thirty-six received hCG and thirty-nine placebo. 83% of the pregnancies on hCG were successful compared with 79% on placebo (P = 0.45). Of the 25 defined as having no cause for their habitual abortion history, 83% on hCG were successful, as were 85% on placebo (P = 0.73). No significant differences were found between the two therapies in terms of delivery weight, placental weight or neonatal Apgar score. This study fails to confirm previous promising placebo-controlled data advocating the use of hCG in habitual abortion.

Progesterone in Women with Recurrent Miscarriages

Carpentier PA et al., 2016 · N Engl J Med · Free to read