Smoking has several long-term negative implications on the body as it affects almost every organ and gradually diminishes a person’s overall health. According to Dr. Rohani Nayak, IVF Specialist at Birla Fertility and IVF, the consequences of tobacco are equally severe for both men and women and could also affect their reproductive ability. Couples undergoing IVF are also advised to refrain from smoking as its adverse effect could lower the chance of success.
In females, smoking can lead to a decrease in ovarian reserve and egg count. During IVF, they may require excessive ovary-stimulating medications to retrieve eggs. Still, fewer eggs may mature during the retrieval process, lowering the pregnancy rate by 30% compared to non-smoking women undergoing IVF. Even if sufficient eggs are retrieved, the likelihood is high that there would be genetic defects in growing embryos, reduced oocyte quality, retrieval of less mature oocytes, and fewer blastocyst formations. Smoking could also lower clinical pregnancy success rates compared to non-smokers.
Women smokers are also more likely to conceive with abnormal chromosomes, such as those causing Down syndrome or aneuploidy, compared to non-smoking mothers. They may also be at risk of ectopic pregnancies and preterm labour. As smoking is linked to the depletion of egg reserves, which cannot be regenerated or replaced, women smokers undergo menopause 1 to 4 years earlier compared to others.
In males, smoking increases the risk of sperm DNA fragmentation. Prolonged smoking may also lower sperm quality, count, and motility and increase the number of abnormally shaped sperm (morphology). In some cases, smoking may even decrease the sperm’s ability to fertilise eggs. All of these factors could lower the chances of conceiving and increase the risk of miscarriage.
Smoking during pregnancy could cause Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), putting the unborn child at risk of abnormal growth patterns, as well as cardiac, metabolic, neurodevelopmental, reproductive, and psychiatric disorders later in life. Children whose parents smoke are also at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and developing asthma.
The good news is that many of the harmful effects of smoking on fertility are reversible. Research shows that quitting smoking can improve ovarian function, egg quality, and implantation rates in women, while in men, it enhances sperm health and reduces DNA fragmentation. For couples planning to conceive – naturally or through IVF – quitting smoking is one of the most effective steps toward boosting their chances of a healthy pregnancy.
IVF is a journey that requires the best possible conditions for success, and eliminating smoking from the equation can make a significant difference. With professional guidance and lifestyle modifications, couples can improve their reproductive health and give their future child the healthiest start in life.