Possible Teratogenic Potential of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Treatment – A Population-Based Case-Control Study

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is used for treatment of pregnant women with threatened and repeated miscarriages/spontaneous abortions in Hungary. Thus the objective of the study was to evaluate the possible association of medically recorded hCG treatment during the second and/or third gestational month in pregnant women with the risk of different congenital abnormalities in their offspring on the basis of comparison to pregnant women who were also treated with hCG and delivered control newborns without any defect in the population-based Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities, 1980-1996. Of 22,843 cases with congenital abnormalities, 83 (0.36%), while of 38,151 controls without any defect, 97 (0.25%) had mothers with hCG treatment (adjusted OR with 95% CI: 1.6, 1.22.1), though there was no association between any congenital abnormality group and a higher rate of maternal hCG treatment. In conclusion the detectable slight general risk for congenital abnormalities in the offspring of mothers with hCG treatment during early pregnancy may be connected with other factors, particularly the causes of previous miscarriages.