Association between ambient air pollution and pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization in Shanghai, China: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Our study suggested that exposure to ambient air pollutants, in particular NO₂ and PM₁₀, was associated with an increased risk of lower rates of pregnancy and live birth respectively in patients undergoing IVF. Stratified analyses indicated that ambient SO₂ and O₃ levels were related to adverse pregnancy outcomes in some subgroups of IVF patients in this study. Notably, patients who underwent single embryo transfer were more susceptible to ambient air pollution exposure. Thus, prospective cohort studies are needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms and the susceptibility windows for women undergoing IVF treatment.