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Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Part of the book series: Contemporary Endocrinology ((COE))

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Summary

Although many of the pregnancies in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may be uneventful, there are several complications of pregnancy associated with maternal PCOS. These include an increased prevalence of early pregnancy loss (EPL), gestational diabetes (GDM), pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders (PET/PIH) and the birth of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) babies. Increased risk of EPL has been attributed to obesity, hyperinsulinaemia, elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations and endometrial dysfunction. Avoiding or managing obesity before pregnancy and treatment with metformin are therapeutic options for these and for the increased prevalence of GDM. Administration of metformin throughout pregnancy is a contentious issue. Screening pregnant women with PCOS for GDM and PET/PIH, especially if obese, is recommended, although data for a firm association between PCOS and PET/PIH is weak. Impaired insulin-mediated growth and fetal programming are possible explanations for a higher prevalence of SGA infants in mothers with PCOS. Prospective studies employing a large cohort of women with well-defined PCOS compared with a control group matched for body mass index (BMI) and parity are needed to solve the remaining questions.

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Authors
  1. Roy Homburg FRCOG
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

    Andrea Dunaif MD

  2. Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA

    R. Jeffrey Chang MD

  3. Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Stephen Franks MD, FMEDSCI

  4. Department of Ob/Gyn, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA

    Richard S. Legro MD

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© 2008 Humana Press

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Homburg, R. (2008). Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. In: Dunaif, A., Chang, R.J., Franks, S., Legro, R.S. (eds) Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Contemporary Endocrinology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-108-6_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-108-6_20

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-831-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-108-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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