Authors
Emily Barrett, Ph.D., Lauren E. Parlett, Ph.D., Gayle C. Windham, Ph.D., Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D.
Volume 101, Issue 6, Pages 1773–1780.e1
Abstract
Objective:
To examine ovarian function in relation to parity and time since last birth.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Health-care program in California.
Patient(s):
346 naturally cycling women, aged 18 to 39 years.
Intervention(s):
None.
Main Outcome Measure(s):
Mean follicular urinary estradiol metabolite concentration (E1C) (cycle days −8 to −1), mean luteal progesterone metabolite concentration (PdG) (days 0 to +10), and cycle phase lengths in ovulatory cycles.
Result(s):
After the women had collected daily urine samples for up to eight menstrual cycles, we measured the E1C and PdG using enzyme-linked immunoassay. The cycle phase lengths were calculated from the hormone profiles and daily diaries. Women who had given birth within the previous 3 years had lower E1C than the nulliparous women and women who last given birth >3 years earlier. Among the parous women, E1C was positively associated with the time since last birth. Women who last gave birth >3 years earlier had longer follicular phases than the nulliparous women. There were no associations between parity and PdG or luteal phase length.
Conclusion(s):
Our cross-sectional data suggest that ovarian function differs in nulliparous and parous women and is positively associated with the time since last birth. Longitudinal research is needed to explore within-woman changes in ovarian function prepartum and postpartum.
Read the full text at: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(14)00200-3/fulltext