Fecundability is defined as the probability of a woman to achieve pregnancy within a given menstrual cycle or a given period of time. For women of reproductive age, excess alcohol consumption is known to affect fecundability. This study aims to evaluate the magnitude of effect alcohol consumption has on female fecundability.
This prospective cohort study included a total of 6,120 females aged 21-45 years who were trying to conceive and were not receiving fertility treatment. The participating women self-reported alcohol consumption of the following drinks: beer, red or white wine, dessert wine, and spirits. The primary outcome of the study was the number of women who achieved pregnancy.
The median alcohol intake was 2.0 servings per week. Of 6,120 females trying to conceive, 4,210 (69%) achieved a pregnancy. When compared with no alcohol consumption, the adjusted fecundability ratios for alcohol consumption ranged between 0.97 and 1.01 for alcohol consumption of 1-14 servings per week. The data, however, did not provide an insight into the risk associated with individual drinks, or the difference between regular and binge drinking.
The research concluded that consuming less than 14 servings of alcohol per week was not associated with any significant impact on female fecundability.
Ref: https://www.bmj.com/content/354/bmj.i4262
