Niels Henrik Ingvar Hjøllund

TY - JOUR

T1 - Menstrual cycle pattern and fertility

T2 - A prospective follow-up study of pregnancy and early embryonal loss in 295 couples who were planning their first pregnancy

AU - Kolstad, Henrik A.

AU - Bonde, Jens Peter

AU - Hjøllund, Niels Henrik

AU - Jensen, Tina Kold

AU - Henriksen, Tine Brink

AU - Ernst, Erik

AU - Giwercman, Aleksander

AU - Skakkebæk, Niels Erik

AU - Olsen, Jørn

PY - 1999

Y1 - 1999

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To characterize how the menstrual cycle pattern relates to fertility regardless of potential biases caused by inappropriate coital timing during the menstrual cycle or early embryonal loss. DESIGN: Prospective follow-up study. SETTING: Healthy couples recruited throughout Denmark. PATIENT(S): Two hundred ninety-five couples who were planning their first pregnancy were followed up from the discontinuation of birth control until a pregnancy was recognized within six menstrual cycles. Early embryonal losses were detected by changes in urinary hCG levels. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The probability of pregnancy occurring within one menstrual cycle (fecundity). RESULT(S): In women who had a cycle length that differed by >10 days from the usual cycle length, fecundity was approximately 25% that of women who had no variation (odds ratio 0.25, 95% confidence interval 0.09-0.68). When the combined effect of cycle variation and cycle length was assessed, cycle variation was a persistent strong predictor of fecundity. CONCLUSION(S): The mechanisms of the present findings probably are female functional disturbances in ovulation, conception, implantation, or sustained pregnancy, linked with variable menstrual cycle length. Thus, identification of medical and environmental causes of abnormal menstrual cycle patterns may provide clues to the causes of infertility. Moreover, the menstrual cycle pattern also should be taken into consideration in the clinical decision-making process.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To characterize how the menstrual cycle pattern relates to fertility regardless of potential biases caused by inappropriate coital timing during the menstrual cycle or early embryonal loss. DESIGN: Prospective follow-up study. SETTING: Healthy couples recruited throughout Denmark. PATIENT(S): Two hundred ninety-five couples who were planning their first pregnancy were followed up from the discontinuation of birth control until a pregnancy was recognized within six menstrual cycles. Early embryonal losses were detected by changes in urinary hCG levels. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The probability of pregnancy occurring within one menstrual cycle (fecundity). RESULT(S): In women who had a cycle length that differed by >10 days from the usual cycle length, fecundity was approximately 25% that of women who had no variation (odds ratio 0.25, 95% confidence interval 0.09-0.68). When the combined effect of cycle variation and cycle length was assessed, cycle variation was a persistent strong predictor of fecundity. CONCLUSION(S): The mechanisms of the present findings probably are female functional disturbances in ovulation, conception, implantation, or sustained pregnancy, linked with variable menstrual cycle length. Thus, identification of medical and environmental causes of abnormal menstrual cycle patterns may provide clues to the causes of infertility. Moreover, the menstrual cycle pattern also should be taken into consideration in the clinical decision-making process.

KW - menstrual cycle

KW - metrorrhagia

KW - oligomenorrhea

KW - fertility

KW - epidemiology

KW - early abortion

U2 - 10.1016/S0015-0282(98)00474-9

DO - 10.1016/S0015-0282(98)00474-9

M3 - Journal article

VL - 71

SP - 490

EP - 496

JO - Fertility and Sterility

JF - Fertility and Sterility

SN - 0015-0282

IS - 3

ER -