Ovarian response to exogenously administered human gonadotropins during the postpartum period

Eighteen normal puerperal women received a combined administration of human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and the ovarian response to these human gonadotropins was evaluated by the daily estimation of the 24 hour urinary excretion of total estrogens. Fourteen of the 18 subjects studied were responsive to the exogenously administered gonadotropins with a rise in the urinary estrogen excretion. Moreover, plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels during the postpartum period were low compared to normal cycle gonadotropin levels. Thus, it might be concluded that puerperal anovulation and amenorrhea during lactation might be due to hypophyseal gonadotropic dysfunction rather than to ovarian refractoriness.