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. 2011 Jan;117(1):136-142.
doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e31820090e1.

Effect of alcohol consumption on in vitro fertilization

Brooke V Rossi  1 , Katharine F Berry, Mark D Hornstein, Daniel W Cramer, Shelley Ehrlich, Stacey A Missmer
Affiliations

Effect of alcohol consumption on in vitro fertilization

Brooke V Rossi et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate whether alcohol use at the initiation of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle is associated with IVF outcomes.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, men and women completed a self-administered questionnaire before their first IVF cycle. Participants reported alcohol type, amount, and frequency consumed. Discrete survival analysis was applied to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for live birth-the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were cycle characteristics and points of failure in the IVF process (cycle cancellation, failed fertilization, implantation failure, and spontaneous abortion). We conducted multicycle analyses with final models adjusted for potential confounders that included cycle number, cigarette use, body mass index, and age.

Results: A total of 2,545 couples contributed 4,729 cycles. Forty-one percent of women and 58% of men drank one to six drinks per week. Women drinking at least four drinks per week had 16% less odds of a live birth rate compared with those who drank fewer than four drinks per week (OR 0.84, CI 0.71-0.99). For couples in which both partners drank at least four drinks per week, the odds of live birth were 21% lower compared with couples in which both drank fewer than four drinks per week (OR 0.79; CI 0.66-0.96).

Conclusion: Consumption of as few as four alcoholic drinks per week is associated with a decrease in IVF live birth rate.

Level of evidence: II.

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Conflict of interest statement

Financial Disclosure

Dr. Hornstein serves on the medical advisory board of WIN Fertility and has received honoraria from Up-To-Date. The otiter authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Likelihood of live birth by couple’s alcohol intake in a cohort of 2,545 couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). −, intake of less than 50 g (four drinks) of alcohol per week; +, intake of at least 50 g (four drinks) of alcohol per week. Bars represent 95% confidence intervals. Rossi. Alcohol and IVF Outcomes. Obstet Gynecol 2011.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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