Abstract
To what extent could alcohol consumption affects female fertility is still unclear. The aim of this study was to quantitatively summarize the dose-response relation between total and specific types of alcohol beverage (beer, wine, and spirits) consumption in female and the fecundability. Four electronic databases were searched. Observational studies (cohort and case-control) that provided female alcohol consumption and fecundity were eligible. Nineteen studies, involving 98657 women, were included in this study. Compared to non-drinkers, the combined estimate (with relative risk, RR) of alcohol consumers on fecundability was 0.87 (95% CI 0.78–0.95) for overall 19 studies. Compared to non-drinkers, the pooled estimates were 0.89 (95% CI 0.82–0.97) for light drinkers (≤12.5 g/day of ethanol) and 0.77 (95% CI 0.61–0.94) for moderate-heavy drinkers (>12.5 g/day of ethanol). Moreover, compared to non-drinkers, the corresponding estimates on fecundability were 0.98 (95% CI 0.85–1.11), 1.02 (95% CI 0.99–1.05), and 0.92 (95% CI 0.83–1.01) for studies focused on wine, beer and spirits, respectively. Dose-response meta-analysis suggested a linear association between decreased fecundability and every 12.5 g/d increasing in alcohol consumption with a RR 0.98 (95% CI 0.97–0.99). This first systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that female alcohol consumption was associated with a reduced fecundability.
Highlights
Infertility, defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse, is growing a major public health issue[1]
No alcohol intake was recommended for women who are in or preparing for pregnancy, as well as for lactating women; a maximum weekly alcohol intake was recommended for general healthy women[17]
While it is important to clarify the association between female alcohol consumption and fecundability, there is currently, no study has, in a dose-response fashion, quantificationally calculated the least requirement of reducing alcohol consumption to lower the risk of fecundity using all available data sources
Summary
Infertility, defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse, is growing a major public health issue[1]. Modifiable lifestyle risk factors, such as obesity, exercise, diet, smoking, caffeine use, and alcoholic beverage drinking, have been proposed and investigated thoroughly. Among these lifestyle factors, many observational studies have been published on the topic of alcohol consumption in women and its effects on the development of fecundability. By using a systematic review and meta-analysis, the aim of this study was to summarize available evidence on female alcohol consumption, including overall and specific types of alcoholic beverage (beer, wine, and spirits) consumption, and the risk of fecundability
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