Endocrinology: Outcome of inadvertent administration of a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (buserelin) in early pregnancy

All women undergoing pituitary down-regulation before plannedin-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment in two IVF units werestudied to assess the risks of and to pregnancies occurringinadvertently when gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists(GnRHa) were used to achieve pituitary desensitization duringthe luteal phase prior to planned IVF treatment. In 2670 cycles,25 women conceived (0.9% of cycles). Of these, three resultedin pre-clinical abortions (12%) but there were no clinical abortions,and 22 have ended with live births at term of apparently normalinfants. Collation of these and other published data suggestthat pregnancy outcome is not adversely affected by GnRHa administrationin the luteal phase of the conception cycle.