title: A comparative study of human chorionic gonadotropin, placebo, and bed rest for women with early threatened abortion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effect of hCG therapy with placebo or bed rest in women with threatened abortion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random assignment, double-blind.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one women with viable pregnancies under 8 weeks' gestation on admission to hospital were randomly allocated to receive injections of hCG or placebo, or were advised to rest in bed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Abortion vs. continuation of pregnancy at 16 weeks' gestation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-one aborted: 6/20 on hCG, 10/21 on placebo, 15/20 on bed rest. hCG vs. bed rest, P < .01; placebo vs. bed rest, hCG vs. placebo--not significant. Plasma progesterone: continuing pregnancy > abortion, P < .01; continued with hCG vs. aborted on placebo, P < .001; continued with hCG vs. aborted with bed rest, P < .001. No significant differences in pregnancy/birth complications or infants' birth weight. Female/male ratio was 2:1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  hCG is significantly better than bed rest.
authors.affiliation: Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000033:Abortion, Threatened / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D001510:Bed Rest; D001724:Birth Weight; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012744:Sex Ratio; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D011374:Progesterone