Authors

Thomas Fréour, Pharm.D., M.Sc., Lionel Dessolle, M.D., M.Sc., Jenna Lammers, M.Sc., Stéphanie Lattes, M.Sc., Paul Barrière, M.D., Ph.D.

Volume 99, Issue 7, Pages 1944-1950, June 2013

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of female smoking on early embryo development in vitro using a time-lapse system.

Design:

Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected database.

Setting:

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) program.

Patients:

A total of 135 infertile couples undergoing IVF-ICSI cycle.

Intervention(s):

Embryo culture in a time-lapse incubator (Embryoscope, Unisense Fertilitech).

Main outcome measure(s):

Embryo morphokinetic parameters.

Results:

Of 135 women, 139 and 729 oocytes were cultured in 23 smokers and 112 non-smokers, respectively. Basal characteristics and ovarian stimulation parameters were comparable in both groups. Serum AMH and Antral Follicle Count were significantly lower in smokers than in non-smokers. Conventional embryologic parameters were comparable in both groups, but time lapse analysis showed that most cleavage events occurred significantly later in smokers than in non-smokers, leading to poor cycle outcome in smokers.

Conclusion:

Female smoking impairs early embryo development, as reflected by time-lapse analysis. This might contribute to the dramatic decrease in pregnancy rates in smokers undergoing IVF. Time lapse is a useful tool for the identification of deleterious components impairing early embryo development.

Read the full text at: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(13)00192-1/fulltext