Alcohol consumption and quality of embryos obtained in programmes of in vitro fertilization

Abstract

Introduction. Infertility is defined as a state when a couple fails to conceive a pregnancy after one year of regular intercourse without the use of contraception. Alcohol consumption is one of the main stimulants which negatively affect the female and male reproductive system. Objective. The objective of the study was analysis of the effect of alcohol consumption by the examined women on the quality of embryos obtained during in vitro fertilization programmes. Material and methods. The study covered 54 women who received treatment due to infertility. The database and statistical analyses were performed using computer software STATISTICA 7.1 (StatSoft, Poland). Results. The study showed that 42.59% from among 100% of the women in the study consumed alcohol. In the group of women who consumed alcohol, class A embryos constituted 4.35%, class B embryos-86.96%, while embryos of class C-8.69%. A statistically significant difference was observed between the classes of embryos and alcohol consumption by the women examined (p=0.001). In addition, a statistically significant relationship was found between the amount of alcohol consumed and the classes of embryos (p=0.005). A significantly larger number of class B embryos came from women who consumed more than 25 grams of ethyl alcohol daily (72.72%), compared to those who consumed alcohol sporadically (44.44%), or those who abstained entirely from alcohol (30.00%). Conclusions. Alcohol consumption causes the development of poorer quality embryos. Significantly more embryos of class B came from oocytes of women who consumed alcohol, compared to class A. An active campaign against alcohol consumption should be carried out among women at reproductive age to safeguard their fertility and future motherhood.