Is urine cortisol concentration as a biomarker of stress unrelated to IVF outcomes in women and men?
While limited, these preliminary data suggest that psychological stress may not play a major role in IVF outcomes, which therefore could be one less concern for couples and their clinicians. Our data also raise the possibility for toxic metals to modify associations between cortisol and IVF outcomes among women. However, these preliminary results require corroboration in an experimental animal model and confirmation in a larger, more definitive observational study.
Transplacental treatment was frequently insufficient to obtain cardioversion in nonhydropic and hydropic foetuses, but all nonhydropic cases had favourable outcomes. Larger prospective studies are needed to optimise the treatment of cases with hydrops.