If you’re looking to optimize your chances for a successful IVF procedure, it might be worthwhile to have the in vitro fertilization procedure performed in the spring.
Researchers followed the fertilization success of IVF performed for nearly 2,000 women.
The women’s eggs were subjected to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which involves injecting a single sperm into an egg in culture.
Successful fertilization was defined as the generation of a viable embryo.
The study found that fertilization rates were higher in the spring than other seasons. In the spring, 73.5% of eggs were successfully fertilized, compared to 69% in the fall, 68.7% in the summer, and 67.9% in the winter.
The study’s authors hypothesize that seasonal temperatures and daylight time may be factors in the variability of fertilization success rates.
The success of the fertilization procedures did not result in higher live birth rates.
