by its characteristic pattern ofpulsatile arterial flow and constant venous flow. The waveforms were defined as abnormal if shifts in frequency at the end of diastole were absent in recordings obtained from three different points on the maternal abdomen. A sample offetal blood was taken from the umbilical vein by cordocentesis, and the oxygen tension and pH were determined (figure).The degree of fetal smallness was expressed as the number of standard deviations by which the observed abdominal circumference differed from the normal mean for gestational age, and the severity ofhypoxia was expressed as the difference between the oxygen tension observed and the normal mean for gestational age.4The correlation between the degree of fetal smallness and the pH ofblood from the umbilical vein (r= -0 -095) or the severity of fetal hypoxia (r= -0 02) was not significant. Seven fetuses had normal oxygen tensions and pH, 25 were hypoxic, five were acidotic, and 22 were both acidotic and hypoxic.

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Women with anovulation due to polycystic ovary syndrome are likely to develop multiple follicles during gonadotrophin therapy and therefore have a high risk of multiple pregnancy. We have developed a low-dose regimen for use in these women; 100 women with clomiphene-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome were treated. Ninety-five of the women ovulated at least once, 72% of the 401 cycles induced were ovulatory and the majority (73%) of these were uni-ovulatory. The overall cumulative conception rate was 55% at 6 months with only two multiple pregnancies. The rate of early pregnancy loss was 32%, which is similar to that reported by other groups. The prevalence of complications was low with no cases of severe hyperstimulation and less than 5% of cycles were abandoned because of development of multiple follicles. Analysis of baseline and mid-follicular luteinizing hormone levels showed that a raised baseline and/or mid-follicular luteinizing hormone level was associated with a poor response to treatment, i.e. anovulation, ovulation but no conception, or early pregnancy loss. There were no successful pregnancies in the women whose luteinizing hormone levels were persistently raised during ovulatory cycles. Low-dose gonadotrophin therapy is a safe and effective method of inducing ovulation; it is associated with a high incidence of single follicular development and a very low multiple pregnancy rate.

Improvements in oocyte culture technique, sperm preparation, oocyte retrieval method and ovarian stimulation regimens have produced higher pregnancy rates with in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. However, because ovarian stimulation is expensive and not without risk, there is increasing interest in the option of using natural cycles for IVF. This study was performed to document the experience and outcome in 240 natural cycles. Cancellation occurred in 28 cycles (12%), and LH surge was observed in 56 (23%), leaving 156 (65%) cycles which progressed to oocyte retrieval. No oocytes were retrieved in 26 cycles. Among the successful oocyte retrievals, the majority yielded one oocyte. There was no evidence of fertilization in 26 cases, and triploid fertilization was observed in 12 cases. Embryos suitable for transfer were available in 92 cycles in which 11 (12%) clinical pregnancies were confirmed. Despite the high failure rate at each step in the process, natural cycles are more cost-effective than stimulated cycles which incur an incremental cost per live birth of $48,000. Natural cycles offer a low-cost alternative that may be more accessible to patients.

BackgroundObesity in infertile women increases the costs of fertility treatments, reduces their effectiveness and increases significantly the risks of many complications of pregnancy and for the newborn. Studies suggest that even a modest loss of 5–10 % of body weight can restore ovulation. However, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the benefits and cost-effectiveness of a lifestyle modification program targeting obese infertile women and integrated into the fertility clinics. This study will evaluate clinical outcomes and costs of a transferable interdisciplinary lifestyle intervention, before and during pregnancy, in obese infertile women. We hypothesize that the intervention will: 1) improve fertility, efficacy of fertility treatments, and health of mothers and their children; and 2) reduce the cost per live birth, including costs of fertility treatments and pregnancy outcomes.Methods/DesignObese infertile women (age: 18–40 years; BMI ≥30 kg/m2 or ≥27 kg/m2 with polycystic ovary syndrome) will be randomised to either a lifestyle intervention followed by standard fertility treatments after 6 months if no conception has been achieved (intervention group) or standard fertility treatments only (control group). The intervention and/or follow-up will last for a maximum of 18 months or up to the end of pregnancy. Evaluation visits will be planned every 6 months where different outcome measures will be assessed. The primary outcome will be live-birth rates at 18 months. The secondary outcomes will be sub-divided into four categories: lifestyle and anthropometric, fertility, pregnancy complications, and neonatal outcomes. Outcomes and costs will be also compared to similar women seen in three fertility clinics across Canada. Qualitative data will also be collected from both professionals and obese infertile women.DiscussionThis study will generate new knowledge about the implementation, impacts and costs of a lifestyle management program in obese infertile women. This information will be relevant for decision-makers and health care professionals, and should be generalizable to North American fertility clinics.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01483612. Registered 25 November 2011.

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Five patients with hyperprolactinaemic amenorrhoea who had been resistant to, or intolerant of bromocriptine were treated with pulsatile LHRH therapy. Ovulation was induced in 9 of 12 treatment cycles. In one patient hyperstimulation occurred in the first cycle of treatment but subsequently she ovulated normally on a reduced dose of LHRH. The gonadotrophin and ovarian responses to treatment in ovulatory cycles were normal despite prolactin concentrations that remained elevated throughout treatment and rose still further with resumption of ovarian activity. The length of the luteal phase and the mid-luteal serum progesterone concentrations were also normal. Pulsatile secretion of progesterone in response to LHRH pulses were observed. These data show that ovulation and normal luteal function can be induced by physiological LHRH replacement in women with persistent hyperprolactinaemia. This confirms that the mechanism of anovulation in hyperprolactinaemic amenorrhoea is disordered LHRH secretion.