Risk of a second consecutive first-trimester spontaneous abortion in women who conceive with menotropins

It is generally recognized that a spontaneous abortion rate of approximately 25% exists in human menopausal gonadotropin/human chorionic gonadotropin (hMG/hCG)-induced pregnancies. Despite this, little is known regarding the prognosis of future menotropin-induced pregnancies in women who abort in their first hMG pregnancy. We retrospectively reviewed the obstetrical outcome of women who achieved two or more menotropin pregnancies between the years 1980 and 1987. Nineteen of 40 patients (48%) whose first hMG pregnancy ended in an early spontaneous abortion went on to abort in a second hMG pregnancy, as compared with only 1 of 15 women (6.7%) whose first hMG pregnancy was successful. Age, parity, weight, height, and plasma estradiol levels at hCG administration did not differ between the two groups. From this data we conclude that women whose first hMG pregnancy results in a spontaneous abortion are at high risk for another spontaneous abortion in a subsequent menotropin conception.