Study Finds That Daylight Savings Time Influences Miscarriage Rates Among Sample IVF Patients

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A recent study by researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and IVF New England found that daylight savings time (DST) contributes a lot to higher rates of miscarriage among women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). The study also discovered the same effect on women who had experienced a pregnancy loss prior to the procedure.

The researchers believe that findings of the study may provide a better understanding of the effects of circadian rhythm changes on women reproduction and fertility. DST is characterized by a subtle but widespread disruption to daily circadian rhythms. It has been previously reported that the one-hour difference has negative health impacts including increased instances of heart attacks. However, little is known with regards to its effects on fertility prior to this study.

"To our knowledge, there are no other studies looking at the effects of daylight savings time and fertility outcomes," author of the study, a physician in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Constance Liu, MD, PhD, said. She added that she and her colleagues knew that they were studying an uncharted field, and they also knew that it was crucial to understanding the impact that a one-hour change could have on patients undergoing IVF, according to Eurekalert.

The researchers analyzed the pregnancy and miscarriage rates among some patients undergoing IVF before and during DST, in both fall and spring. They categorized the patients into three groups based on the timing of their embryo transfer during DST. An embryo transfer is described as a step in the process of IVF in which an embryo is placed into the uterus of a woman with the aim of establishing a pregnancy.

The researchers found that the miscarriage rates in IVF patients who had had a prior miscarriage were significantly higher among women whose embryo transfers occurred 21 days after spring DST commenced when compared to women whose embryo transfers was completed before or after the spring DST window. They discovered that the successful pregnancy rates did not differ between seasons or among the three groups or during the change to standard time in the fall, according to Medical Express.

The researchers noted that although their findings on the effect of DST on pregnancy loss among IVF patients was shocking, the study needs to be replicated in larger IVF cohorts across the world that observe DST. They published their finding online in the journal Chronobiology International.