Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome without gonadotropin stimulation: an unusual response to a GnRH agonist.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a well-known iatrogenic complication of ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins. We present the case of a woman in her 30s who developed OHSS without the administration of gonadotropins. She was due to undergo intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for primary subfertility.

A rapid improvement event: progesterone prescribing in prevention of miscarriage.

A rapid improvement event (RIE) is a standard operational excellence technique that uses team-based problem solving to improve processes. In this study, a RIE was undertaken to improve progesterone prescribing rates for those with a history of miscarriage experiencing vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy. This was on the basis of a recent change in guidelines regarding prescribing in these instances.

Pregnancy outcomes following recurrent miscarriage.

Background: Recurrent miscarriage affects 1-2% of the population, and the literature has focussed on causes, treatment, and live birth rate.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the reproductive outcomes for patients who attended a specialist recurrent miscarriage clinic for investigation and treatment.

Methods: Prospective analysis of all patients who attended a recurrent miscarriage clinic from January 2014 to January 2021.

Second-trimester miscarriage: a review of postnatal investigations and subsequent pregnancy outcomes.

Background: Second-trimester loss is pregnancy loss after the 12th and before the 24th completed weeks of pregnancy. This study aims to review cases of second-trimester miscarriage who attended a large maternity hospital and to examine pregnancy outcomes in this group of women.

Methods: This study is a review of cases of second-trimester miscarriage using descriptive, exploratory design, involving a retrospective chart review.

A survey of assisted reproductive technology births and imprinting disorders.

Background: Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic process in which allele-specific gene expression is dependent on the parental inheritance. Although only a minority of human genes are imprinted, those that have been identified to date have been preferentially implicated in prenatal growth and neurodevelopment. Mutations or epimutations in imprinted genes or imprinting control centres are associated with imprinting disorders such as Angelman syndrome (AS) and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS).

Assisted reproduction technology and defects of genomic imprinting.

It is estimated that approximately 1% of the newborn population of the British Isles are conceived following assisted reproduction technologies such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). While the long term outcome of IVF children is mostly reassuring, some concerns remain. Specifically, recent studies have suggested a possible association between assisted conception and clinical conditions of genetic origin known as genomic imprinting defects.