Alcohol consumption and in vitro fertilization: a review of the literature

The aim of our study is to determine whether alcohol consumption affects the results of in vitro fertilization. A review of the literature was performed to find prospective cohort studies of couples undergoing in vitro fertilization in which alcohol intake was recorded. A primary search returned 389 studies, 2 of which were finally considered eligible. A total of 2908 couples were analyzed in terms of pregnancy outcomes depending on drinking habits. The risk of IVF failure increased 4.14-fold and 2.86-fold with an increased alcohol intake of 12 gr/d in women during the week and month before, respectively. The odds ratio (OR) of live birth rate in women who drank at least four drinks per week compared with women who drank fewer was 0.84; this difference was statistically significant. Paternal alcohol use levels 1 month, 1 week and during the attempts were also associated with worse reproductive effects. Our review, though including a small number of studies that were heterogeneous in design, revealed decreased rates of pregnancy and fertilization outcomes for couples who drank before or during their in vitro fertilization techniques. This suggests that couples undergoing IVF should be advised to abstain from alcohol prior to and during their procedures.