The combination of follicle-stimulating hormone and human menopausal gonadotropin for the induction of multiple follicular maturation for in vitro fertilization

One hundred fifty-one cycles in 134 consecutive patients were stimulated with 150 IU of human urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and 150 IU of human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) on cycle days 3 and 4 and then with 150 IU of hMG daily for the purpose of multiple follicular development for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Seventy-three patients did not have a prior IVF attempt, and 61 patients in 78 cycles had prior IVF attempts at least once with their previous cycles stimulated with the same method and/or hMG and/or FSH. There was an average of three preovulatory oocytes retrieved per laparoscopy and a pregnancy rate of 27% per transfer cycle. The results were equally favorable in 'new' and 'old' patient cycles. The pregnancy rate increased with the transfer of two or more conceptuses of preovulatory origin. The multiple pregnancy rate, but not the abortion rate, increased with increased numbers of conceptuses transferred.