Can Ovarian Suppression Prevent Down Syndrome?

Advanced maternal age raises risk for pregnancy complications, including Down syndrome. Hungarian investigators conducted a case-control study in pregnant women seeking amniocentesis because of advanced maternal age.

The 37 women whose fetuses had trisomic abnormalities (cases) had used oral contraceptives for less time than 92 similarly aged women with normal fetal karyotypes (controls; mean, 3.4 years vs. 6.0 years, P=0.001) and had ovulated an estimated 50 times more often. In contrast, no significant between-group differences were found in maternal age, age at menarche, menstrual cycle length, or number of prior deliveries, abortions, or miscarriages.