WHITE WINE and IVF – NOT a GOOD MIX

Many women often stop drinking when they find out they’re pregnant. Couples undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) may want to reconsider imbibing before getting pregnant. Scientists have found that white wine can dramatically reduce the chances of a successful pregnancy for women undergoing IVF. Sharing as little as one bottle of wine a week could cut a couple’s chances of having a baby by 26 percent. They also told men to avoid beer to maximize their chances of becoming a father. A large-scale study of couples in their 3Os found that even low levels of alcohol consumption can increase the risk of miscarriage or an embryo not implanting properly in the womb. White wine had a bigger effect on women’s fertility than any other drink, while beer had the worst impact on the quality of men’s sperm. In the study, researchers from Harvard Medical School asked 25OO couples before their first IVF cycle about the amount and type of alcohol they consumed. After taking into account factors including age, weight and whether they smoke, they found that women who drank white wine more than once a week had a 24 percent lower chance of a live birth. There was a 23 percent reduced chance of the embryo implanting properly. The study also found that if both parents drank six units of alcohol a week, the chances of a live birth declined by 26 percent. Six units is the equivalent of two large glasses of wine, three pints of beer or six shots of liquor. Dr. Brooke Rossi, who presented the findings to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference, said: “In general, women are told they should stop drinking when trying to achieve pregnancy.” Tony Rutherford, the chairman of the British Fertility Society, said the society’s guidelines and those from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence stated that women should not drink at all during their pregnancy. However, US Government guidelines state that one or two units a week should not do any harm.