September 14, 2010

New research suggests that success rates are higher when in vitro fertilization is done during the springtime. A Brazilian study found that fertilization rates were highest in the spring - 73.5 percent vs. 67.9 percent for winter. Spring fertilization rates also were higher than the summer and fall rates. "Not everyone is convinced that seasonal differences are present for IVF, said David Keefe, MD, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. He even suggested that women might be risking their fertility even further if they try to wait for what might be perceived as a more fertile time of the year. "First, when we do in vitro, we're already overriding the whole system and the hormones that turn on reproduction. And, second, species that have a longer gestation, such as humans, have typically bred when the days are getting shorter, and they [the study authors] found the opposite here," explained Keefe.

In Vitro Fertilization Success Rate Higher in Spring, Study Suggests