Do lunar cycles influence in vitro fertilization results?

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Chronobiology
• Astrophysics

Background:

• In vitro fertilization (IVF-ET) is a key assisted reproductive technology.
• Seasonal and cyclical variations in IVF-ET outcomes have been observed but not fully explained.
• Potential environmental factors, including lunar cycles, warrant investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential influence of lunar cycles on the success rates of IVF-ET procedures.
• To analyze pregnancy rates in relation to synodic and anomalistic lunar cycles.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 7572 IVF-ET cycles conducted between 1992 and 1999 in Austria and Hungary.
• Application of multiple regression and harmonic sinoidal trend analysis.
• Separate analyses for synodic and anomalistic lunar cycles.

Main Results:

• Overall IVF-ET pregnancy rate was 30.9%.
• No significant association was found for synodic lunar cycles (p = 0.44).
• A borderline significant association (p = 0.044) was observed for anomalistic lunar cycles, with a trend towards higher pregnancy rates when the moon was in Perigee.

Conclusions:

• Lunar influence may be a minor factor contributing to fluctuations in IVF-ET outcomes.
• The complexity of seasonal changes in IVF-ET success suggests multiple contributing factors.
• Further research is necessary to elucidate the causes of unexplained variations in pregnancy rates.