Pergonal

In the decades since the introduction of Pergonal, millions of women have had their ovaries undergo “controlled ovarian hyperstimulation,” with dosing decisions made somewhat arbitrarily in an inconsistent fashion from one center to the next.

Ms. Schreiber, who declined an interview request for this article, was keenly familiar with fertility options: Her mother, Linda, had become a bit of a celebrity in her own right in the 1970s after a regimen of the pregnancy drug Pergonal resulted in quadruplets.

But the exact amount of Pergonal required to cause just one follicle to mature rather than three or four--or in this case seven--varies from patient to patient.

As a result, repeated monitoring of Pergonal's effect is essential.

In spite of their ordeal, the Frustacis have faith in drugs like Pergonal.