title: [The incidence of congenital abnormalities following gestagen administration in early pregnancy (author's transl)].
abstract: 198 women who had been trying for years to have a baby were submitted to a trial of prophylactic allyloestrenol therapy in an attempt to lower the incidence of spontaneous abortion. Allyloestrenol (Gestanon) was given at a dosage of 10 mg daily until the 8th week of pregnancy; the dosage was then stepped up to 15 to 20 mg daily until the 12th week of pregnancy and then rapidly tailed off. A decrease in the miscarriage rate was seen only in the group of women in whom treatment had been commenced immediately following ovulation (27 women: 1 miscarriage). If therapy was initiated only after the first missed period then it was without effect (161 women: 23 miscarriages). There were 4 cases of severe congenital abnormality; 3 of these cases arose in the group given allyloestrenol immediately after ovulation (with a drastic reduction in miscarriage rate). The results are discussed. They speak against a cytotoxic effect of the gestagen. It appears likely that the lowering in miscarriage rate occurs at the expense of a failure to prevent the nidation of abnormal fetuses who would normally be aborted.
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D000033:Abortion, Threatened / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000500:Allylestrenol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004963:Estrenes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First
chemical_list: D004963:Estrenes; D000500:Allylestrenol
vernacular_title: Zur Frage der Fehlbildungsraten nach Gestagenmedikation in der Frühschwangerschaft.