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Published in: Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics 10/2020

01-10-2020 | Assisted Reproduction Technologies

Seasonal variation, temperature, day length, and IVF outcomes from fresh cycles

Authors: Leslie V. Farland, Katharine F. B. Correia, Stacey A. Missmer, Catherine Racowsky

Published in: Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics | Issue 10/2020

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Abstract

Purpose

It is known that delivery rates from spontaneous conception vary according to season which may be due to cultural or environmental factors; however, conflicting data exist regarding whether outcomes from IVF are also seasonally dependent. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the season at oocyte retrieval is associated with livebirth after fresh transfer.

Methods

Dates of oocyte retrieval for all autologous cycles in our IVF program between January 2012 and December 2017 were categorized by season. Dates were linked to local temperature (min, max, average) and day length obtained from meteorological records. Average maximum temperature and day length were categorized into tertiles. Multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for age and quadratic age, were used to model odds (aOR) of implantation, clinical pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, and livebirth.

Results

Patient characteristics were similar across seasons. As expected, temperature and day length varied by season. When compared with cycles started during winter, there was no difference in the age-adjusted odds of livebirth for the other three seasons (spring: aOR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.82–1.13; summer: aOR: 1.05, 0.90–1.23; fall: aOR: 0.98, 0.84–1.15). There was a positive linear trend between temperature and odds of implantation, and clinical pregnancy (p value, test for linear trend (implantation, p = 0.02; clinical pregnancy, p = 0.01)) but no association with livebirth for temperature or day length.

Conclusions

We found that season at oocyte retrieval was not associated with livebirth, contrary to patterns seen in naturally conceived populations. However, our data did suggest modestly higher odds of clinical pregnancy for retrievals in June and July, and that higher temperature at time of retrieval was associated with higher odds of clinical pregnancy but not livebirth.
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Metadata
Title
Seasonal variation, temperature, day length, and IVF outcomes from fresh cycles
Authors
Leslie V. Farland
Katharine F. B. Correia
Stacey A. Missmer
Catherine Racowsky
Publication date
01-10-2020
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics / Issue 10/2020
Print ISSN: 1058-0468
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7330
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-020-01915-2

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