Evaluating the effect of vitamin D supplementation on in vitro fertilization outcomes

This study evaluated the effect of vitamin D supplementation on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. The data showed that vitamin D supplementation significantly improved the biochemical pregnancy rate in these patients.

Infertility is a common problem worldwide. In vitro fertilization (IVF) has improved fertility outcomes for many couples. IVF involves fertilizing an egg (oocyte) with a sperm in the lab and then implanting the embryo in the uterus. A lot of research has focused on the role of diet in infertility. Vitamin D is an important nutrient. It is a hormone produced by the skin in response to ultraviolet light (sunlight). Vitamin D is important in female reproduction. It helps regulate cell growth in the ovary and uterine lining. Low vitamin D levels are common in infertile couples.

Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption and is involved in bone health. Up to half of all women of reproductive age do not have enough vitamin D. Studies indicate that higher vitamin D levels are associated with an increased likelihood of pregnancy. However, there are few studies evaluating the effect of vitamin D supplementation on IVF outcomes in infertile women with vitamin D deficiency.

This study analyzed 5 studies involving infertile women with vitamin D deficiency. All studies were conducted either in Iran or Italy.

Vitamin D supplementation significantly increased the chemical pregnancy rate (by 53%) compared to the control treatment.

Vitamin D supplementation also improved the clinical pregnancy rate (by 34%) compared to the control treatment. However, this difference was not considered statistically significant.

This study concluded that vitamin D supplementation might improve IVF outcomes. The authors suggested that vitamin D supplementation should be prescribed to improve the chemical pregnancy rate in infertile women with vitamin D deficiency.

The number of studies analyzed was very small. The studies evaluated only included patients treated in Iran or Italy and mostly included very small numbers of participants. The type of vitamin D treatment used was different in different studies. More studies are required to validate the conclusions.