The effect of female tobacco smoking on IVF outcomes

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is widely believed to be associated with decreased fecundity in naturally con-ceiving populations; however, the effect of female smoking on pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing IVF is unclear. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 389 consecutive patients undergoing first cycle IVF was performed. Outcomes of peak estradiol (E2) levels, log mean ovarian volume, number of oocytes retrieved, oocyte maturity in ICSI, fertilization rate, cleavage rate, embryo quality, percentage of high-quality embryos, pregnancy and live birth were assessed in patients reported as never smokers, past smokers and current smokers. Potential confounding vari-ables evaluated included day 3 FSH, number of oocytes retrieved, embryo quality, caffeine and alcohol consumption. The population was also stratified by female age (<35 and 35 years). RESULTS: A total of 9.3 % of our patients reported current smoking and 12.1 % reported a history of smoking. Smoking status did not significantly affect preg-nancy outcome, live birth rate or any other indicated outcome. CONCLUSIONS: A total of 21.4 % of IVF patients in this study had past or present exposure to cigarette smoking with no measurable effect on IVF outcome. Key words: cigarette smoking/infertility/IV