Preovulatory Overripeness of the Egg in the Human Subject

Anomalies of conception which endanger the ensuing pregnancy have been reviewed. The range of possible consequences include “occult” and early spontaneous abortions, a wide spectrum of chromosome defects, developmental anomalies, such as those of the brain (with a wide range of neuro‐psychopathology as a consequence) and possibly some other abnormalities of gestation. Pathology either of the pregnancy or of the products of conceptions caused by preovulatory overripeness ovopathy may be expected from conceptions that occur at times of changing endocrine patterns, reflected clinically in a transition from anovulation and vice versa. One can anticipate finding this conceptopathology reflected epidemiologically in a U‐shaped curve in relation to the reproductive age of the mother, in another U‐shaped curve relevant to the duration of the conception interval, and finally in a 4‐peaked birth curve related to seasonal variations of the ovulatory patterns.