Ovarian reserve in young women with low birth weight and normal puberty: a pilot case–control study

Abstract

Aim. Studies indicate that women born small for gestational age (SGA) have impaired ovarian function. The origin of this ovarian dysfunction is still debatable. The aim of this study was to compare ovarian ageing between girls born appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and SGA. Therefore, we measured Luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), E2, Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and the pituitary response to endogenous Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in adolescent girls born SGA and AGA.

Methods. A case–controlled pilot study consisting of seven SGA women (birth weight <10th percentile AGA) and 13 AGA women with regular menstrual cycles, age 19.9 (±0.42). Early follicular FSH, LH, Oestradiol (E2) and AMH levels were measured. After baseline samples, 100 μg GnRH was administered intravenously and at 30, 60 and 90 min blood samples were taken to measure gonadotropin levels and to compute the response to endogenous GnRH.

Results. Mean follicular phase LH, FSH, E2 and AMH levels did not significantly differ between young women born SGA and AGA. Furthermore, the response to endogenous GnRH showed no significant differences either.

Conclusions. We concluded against extension of this pilot study. Based on our observations it seems unlikely that limited ovarian reserve is a predominated problem in adolescent SGA.

Keywords:

• Birth weight
• FSH
• ovarian reserve

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the participants who volunteered for this study project. The authors are also grateful to Professor F.H. de Jong of the Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, for facilitating the Anti-Müllerian hormone assay. The authors also thank Ted Korsen, research nurse, who conducted the GnRH challenge tests. Authors thank prof. HA Delemarre-van de Waal for her critical comments. S. Sadrzadeh and E.A.M. Kuijper were involved in recruitment of subjects and writing the manuscript. M.M van Weissenbruch identified possible study subjects at the outpatient clinic and contributed to the final draft of the manuscript. C.B. Lambalk was involved in the design and the endocrine aspects of the study and the writing of the paper. This study was approved by the ethical committee of the VU medical centre on 21 June 2001. Subject number: 01/096.