Wildfire smoke linked to dramatic drop in IVF pregnancy success: study

Your baby plans could be up in the air.As millions of Americans brace for another day cloaked in wildfire smoke, experts are warning that the haze may be clouding more than the horizon — it could also affect couples’ chances of getting pregnant.In one recent study, researchers found that when New Yorkers woke up to eerie orange skies in the summer of 2023, women undergoing IVF saw a steep decline in embryo transfer success rates.The team analyzed 190 embryo transfers performed at a New York fertility center between June 1 and July 31, as smoke from massive Canadian wildfires descended on the state and sent New York City’s air quality levels plummeting.For each procedure, the team looked at the local Air Quality Index (AQI) on the day of the embryo transfer, then compared pregnancy outcomes based on whether the air was considered good, moderate or unhealthy.They also accounted for other factors that can influence IVF success, including the woman’s age and embryo quality.What they found paints a troubling picture.

When air quality was considered good, about 62% of embryo transfers resulted in pregnancy.On days with moderate air quality, the rate was slightly higher at 65% — though researchers said the difference wasn’t statistically significant.But when the AQI reached unhealthy levels — the kind of conditions seen during the worst wildfire smoke days — the pregnancy rate dropped to just 27%.“We saw that even though the fires were not necessarily directly in our backyard, the smoke from so many miles away could have a negative impact,” study author Dr.

Randi Goldman, attending physician and program director for the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship Program at Northwell Fertility, told The Post.“My hypothesis is that it doesn’t have to do with the actual lab itself or the transfer itself, but more in the days leading up to it and the days after it,” she said.“The person who had that embryo transfer is then exposed to th...