Early embryonic mortality in women.
Measurements of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) have been used to assess early embryo loss in women. Urine samples obtained from a control group of sterilized women with normal ovulatory menstrual cycles enabled a concentration limit of 56 IU/l to be determined so that any nontrophoblastic hCG or other cross-reacting compounds could be accounted for. One hundred ninety-eight ovulatory cycles were collected from a normal population attempting to conceive. Fecundability was 22% to 27% for this population. The risk of pregnancy in exposed ovulatory cycles was 59.6%; however, 61.9% of conceptuses will be lost prior to 12 weeks. Most of these losses (91.7%) occur subclinically, without the knowledge of the mother.
D000328:Adult; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000652:urine; D003429:Cross Reactions; D020964:Embryo Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008598:Menstruation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D011374:Progesterone