 News
12th November 2006
Smoking blocks embryo implantation
Heavy smoking affects the womb lining making it difficult for the embryo
to implant, scientists say.
A study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, compared
pregnancy rates between heavy smokers and those who did not smoke or smoked
fewer than 10 a day.
It found that smoking has a direct affect on the uterus
by damaging the lining.
Lead researcher Dr Sergio Soares, director of the IVI Clinic
in Lisbon, said, "The non-heavy smokers had a significantly higher pregnancy
rate, with over half becoming pregnant, compared with just over a third
of the heavy smokers.
"Heavy smokers have a much lower chance of achieving
pregnancy.
"In spite of all the noise generated about the effects of
smoking in a series of health areas, its possible effect on uterine receptiveness
has never been evaluated until now.
"Our study is just the first step on this path, and certainly
not the last, but it means that we should now be telling patients, if
they are heavy smokers, that even if fertilisation takes place they have
less chance of achieving a successful pregnancy."
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