The study of vitamin D levels and effects in IVF treatment

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, that was recognized for its importance in human fertility. Studies suggests an association between vitamin D infertility. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the vitamin D levels among infertile women. To assess the effect of serum vitamin D level on oocyte quality and embryo development. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 962 infertile patients who underwent the first IVF cycle at Mon-CL hospital. Participants were classified into three groups according their vitamin D levels (≥30 ng/mL sufÏcient; 21–29 ng/mL insufÏcient; ≤20 ng/ml deficient). In addition, we evaluated age, body mass index, ovarian reserve markers, oocyte count, oocyte morphology, fertilization and good embryo rate. The results were processed using SPSS 21.0. Results: The patients’s age ranged from 22 to 45 years (33.9±5.5 on average). 725 (75.4%) of the participants had vitamin D deficiency, 143 (14.9%) had levels between 20 and 29 ng/ml, and 94 (9.8%) had vitamin D sufÏcient. Median level of serum vitamin D level was higher in summer than autumn in deficiency group. There was no relationship between vitamin D levels and age, ovarian reserve markers, oocyte count, quality and good embryo rate. Conclusion: High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency occurs among infertile women. The level of serum vitamin D before IVF treatment does not have an obvious effect on the oocyte quality, embryo development during the treatment.