Possibility of live birth in patients with low serum β-hCG 14 days after blastocyst transfer

Abstract

Abstract Background Although prior work has attempted to predict pregnancy outcomes by assaying serum β-hCG levels after blastocyst transfer, no study has focused on pregnancy outcomes in those with initially low serum β-hCG levels. This study sought to investigate pregnancy outcomes of patients with low serum β-hCG levels 14 days after blastocyst transfer. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University to study patients whose serum β-hCG levels were at 5–299 mIU/ml 14 days after frozen blastocyst transfer. Rates of live birth, early miscarriage, biochemical pregnancy loss and ectopic pregnancy were analyzed according to the female patients’ age by Chi-squared analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to explore the threshold of predicting clinical pregnancy and live births. Results 312 patients had serum β-hCG levels 58.8 mIU/ml, luteal phase support should continue. Another serum β-hCG test and ultrasound should be performed one week later. When an initial serum β-hCG is < 58.8 mIU/ml, luteal phase support should be discontinued and serum β-hCG measured with ultrasound one week later.

Keywords

• Assisted reproductive technology
• Human chorionic gonadotropin
• Pregnancy
• Live birth
• Blastocyst