Objective:
To investigate the symptoms and outcomes of ovarian stimulation in patients with a history of hyperemesis gravidarum.
Design:
Retrospective case series.
Setting:
Research laboratory of a university hospital.
Patient(s):
Participants in an ongoing study on hyperemesis gravidarum that reported ovarian stimulation for gestational surrogacy.
Intervention(s):
Review of medical records.
Main outcome measure(s):
Pregnancy history, symptoms, estradiol level and mature oocyte number in cases, and nausea and vomiting level reported in surrogate.
Result(s):
Three cases in their early thirties with a history of hyperemesis gravidarum presented with severe nausea and vomiting during ovarian stimulation and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Gestational carriers reported normal nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.
Conclusion(s):
This series provides lessons for in vitro fertilization for cases with a history of hyperemesis gravidarum and their gestational carriers as well as insight into the cause of hyperemesis gravidarum and its potential role in fertility. A link between hyperemesis gravidarum and an evolutionary advantage of increased fertility suggests a novel theory to explain the selection for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.