Air pollution reduces the chance of a live birth after IVF treatment

Exposure to pollution has previously been linked to increased miscarriage rates and pre-term births, and the latest concerning findings suggest that toxic air has an impact on fertility before conception by disrupting the development of eggs, and decreases the odds of a live birth following IVF by 38 per cent.

Dr Sebastian Leathersich, a fertility specialist and gynaecologist, said: "We observed that the odds of having a baby after a frozen embryo transfer were more than a third lower for women who were exposed to the highest levels of particulate matter air pollution prior to egg collection, compared with those exposed to the lowest levels."

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is one of the leading threats to an individual's health, and has been linked with a raised risk of heart disease, dementia and reductions in intelligence.

Dr Leathersich said: "Pollution is harmful to almost all aspects of human health, and it's no surprise to me that reproductive health is also affected.

"I'm hopeful that these findings will help to highlight the urgency of the situation - that climate change poses a serious and immediate threat to human reproductive health, even at so-called safe levels."

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