How long to continue Intralipid therapy after successful IVF?

CAS

1 Posts
Reply Posted on: Jun 16, 2012 at 2:37pm
Hi Dr. B!
Is there evidence to support that after 20 weeks, the mother's immune issues are no longer a threat to a fetus?

And that therefore, intralipid treatment is no longer needed after 20 weeks of pregnancy?

Or is it necessary for the mother to be retested some time after 23(?) weeks (if intralipids have been administered every 3 weeks during pregnancy) to check if the intralipid therapy has been effective in managing the immune issues?

Thanks!

Dr. Braverman

2026 Posts
RE: How long to continue Intralipid therapy after successful IVF? Posted on: Jun 16, 2012 at 5:33pm
Ive looked at the question of Intralipids after the first trimester in great detail. There are no studies at all showing benefit after the first trimester. Thats probably because so few have done it and in theory once the placenta is fully implanted many of the 3rd trimester pregnancy problems are significantly reduced. There have been isolated reports of activated NK cells and toxemia but these were in untreated patients and the thinking is that its due to early placental damage which you should not see in the treated group. The other issue is we dont know if there is a necessary function to some of the NK activity in the second trimester , some sparse reports abuot that. Overall , I do know of many cases where the Intralipids were continued well into the second trimester(many of these when a problem with uterine artery and placental flow was identified by color doppler and these resolved with intralipids). But to give it just becuase you were on them in the first trimester is probably not necessary as I rarely do this and our patients do just fine. A long winded answer because there is none yet. I hope this helps.
Braverman Medical Team
Braverman Reproductive Immunology P.C.