Shillong, November 9: Women seeking in vitro fertilisation (IVF) are facing setbacks as air pollution in the national capital takes a toll on their health, according to Dr. Shivani Gour, Vice President of Delhi State Chapter of Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction (ISAR).
As per IANS, while previous studies highlighted the impact of air pollution on fertility, this marks the first instance of IVF sessions being increasingly canceled due to deteriorating air quality. The ongoing pollution levels in the city have led to rising cases of respiratory issues, eye irritation, and other health problems.
Dr. Gour revealed that, on average, one daily IVF session is canceled as women experience pollution-related conditions like cough, throat irritation, and red eyes. Patients in their 30s, without pre-existing health conditions, are affected, with some undergoing frozen embryo transfer (FET), a type of IVF where a cryopreserved embryo from a previous cycle is thawed and transferred to the uterus.
Patients facing canceled cycles will have to wait for a month before undergoing another attempt. Dr. Gour advised women planning for IVF to stay indoors during high pollution levels, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and exercise. While some fertility experts have not witnessed such cancellations, they acknowledge the serious impact of air pollution on fertility.
Dr. Anju Yadav, Senior Consultant – Fertility at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, highlighted research linking high air pollution levels to lower success rates in assisted reproductive technologies. Air pollution can negatively affect fertility by causing hormonal imbalances, oxidative stress, and inflammation, impacting the quality of sperm and eggs. Long-term exposure to pollutants may disrupt the endocrine system, affect ovarian and testicular function, and impact embryo implantation.
Dr. Anu Sadashiv, Reproductive Medicine Specialist at Milann Fertility and Birthing Hospital, stressed the importance of regulating indoor pollution levels in IVF labs. The success rate of IVF depends on optimal conditions in embryology labs equipped with HEPA filters and temperature control. Air pollutants may act as endocrine disruptors, potentially affecting the success rate of IVF through epigenetic modifications.