High risk pregnancies in hypopituitary women

Abstract

Background: Various short papers have suggested that pregnancies in women with hypopituitarism are high risk but no formal assessment of pregnancy outcome has yet been reported. Methods: An audit was carried out concerning the outcome of 18 pregnancies in nine women who underwent ovulation induction in a single centre over 20 years. Results: The live birth rate was 61%, miscarriage rate 28% and mid-trimester uterine death rate 11% with no survivors from four sets of twins. The Caesarian section rate was 100% and half of the live births were on or below the 10th centile for weight. One woman successfully breast-fed. Conclusions: Women with hypopituitarism have high-risk pregnancies, perhaps because of a uterine defect secondary to endocrine deficiency. Fertility treatment must strive for singleton pregnancies with application of particularly strict criteria to avoid twin pregnancies. Early elective Caesarian section is probably warranted in this group.