Air pollution exposure linked to 40% drop in births among IVF patients: Aussie study
The findings suggest that air pollution negatively affects the quality of eggs, authors say.
Exposure to air pollution can significantly reduce the chances of IVF leading to a live birth, an Australian study shows.
The odds of a live birth are nearly 40% lower in women heavily exposed to particle pollution in the two weeks before oocyte retrieval, compared with those with the least exposure, researchers found.
Lead researcher Dr Sebastian Leathersich, a gynaecologist with King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women in Perth, said the findings suggest that pollution negatively affects the quality of the eggs, not just the early stages of pregnancy.
“[This] is a distinction that has not been previously reported,” he said in a news release.
