The first report looked at caffeine consumption, and found that women who drink five or more cups of coffee a day reduce their chances of getting pregnant after IVF by a shocking 50%. Up until now there have been conflicting results from investigations into caffeine consumption, but this new study was a large one, following up nearly 4,000 women who'd had IVF or ICSI. Interestingly, for women who drank coffee but consumed fewer than five cups, the coffee didn't have any effect. So, there's no need to cut out your wake-up coffee altogether, but just make sure you limit your consumption.
The second study looked at consumption of saturated fats, and found that women who had a higher than average intake didn't have as many mature eggs ready for collection in IVF treatment. This was a far smaller study, but showed that different types of fat had different effects. The doctors who carried out the research said it was too early to make any firm recommendations to patients, but as it's not good to eat lots of saturated fats anyway, this may perhaps emphasise that healthy eating when you're trying to conceive may make a difference.
The final study looked at smoking, and found that it affected the environment in the Fallopian tube and uterus, which may explain why women who smoke are more likely to have ectopic pregnancies. The vast majority of women who get as far as fertility treatment have already given up smoking because it reduces the chance of success and increases the risk of miscarriage - but this new research provides yet more evidence of the way smoking can damage your fertility.
All of these research projects are interesting, but perhaps not entirely surprising as they sum up what we may well have suspected already - that moderation, common sense and a healthy diet can make a difference when it comes to IVF success.
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