We have developed a protocol using recombinant human Follicle Stimulating Hormone (rhFSH) to induce ovarian stimulation in the mouse to investigate its impact on preimplantation embryo development. Embryos were collected from adult female C57Bl/6 x CBA F1 mice treated with rhFSH (0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 or 20.0 iu) or 5iu equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG). Embryos were also recovered from non-treated control mice. Embryos were cultured in vitro for 88 hours and the stage of development was morphologically assessed. The allocation of cells to the inner cell mass or trophectoderm of blastocysts was determined by differential nuclear staining. The expression of insulin like growth factor 2 (IGF-2), the insulin like growth factor receptor (IGF-2 receptor) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in blastocysts was measured by real-time reverse transcription PCR. Blastocyst development was reduced in the 10iu (72.3 ± 5.1%) and 20iu (77.3 ± 5.6%) rhFSH groups compared to control embryos (96.7 ± 1.0%). The number of inner cell mass cells was reduced (P < 0.001) in the 5iu, 10iu and 20iu rhFSH groups and the eCG group compared to control embryos. We did not find any effect of rhFSH treatment on IGF-2, IGF-2 receptor or VEGF expression in blastocysts compared to the control group. eCG treatment, however, significantly increased the expression of IGF-2 in blastocysts. These results indicate that ovarian stimulation with rhFSH impairs the in vitro development of preimplantation mouse embryos and these results may have potential implications for clinical ovarian stimulation during infertility treatment and subsequent embryo quality.