High booze intake reduces female fertility

Drinking 14 or more servings of alcohol a week may reduce fertility in women by 18 per cent, a new study has warned. Researchers from University College London carried out a large study to examine the association between pre-conception alcohol consumption and time to pregnancy.

In total, 6,120 female Danish residents, aged 21-45 years, were included in the study. They were all in a stable relationship with a male partner, trying to conceive and not receiving fertility treatment, between 2007-2016.

Each female participant completed bimonthly questionnaires for 12 months, or until conception occurred, on alcohol use, pregnancy status, menstrual cycles, frequency of intercourse and smoking. Alcohol consumption was self reported as beer (330 ml bottles), red or white wine (120 ml glasses), dessert wine (50 ml glasses) and spirits (20 ml), and was categorised in standard servings per week.

In women who drank 14 or more servings of alcohol a week, there were 37 pregnancies in 307 cycles, compared with 1,381 pregnancies in 8,054 cycles in women who did not drink.

Women who drank more than 14 servings a week had an 18 per cent lower chance of getting pregnant, according to the BBC. While the sample size was large, only 1.2 per cent of women drank more than 14 servings of alcohol a week, so the estimate for this high level of exposure is imprecise, researchers said.

This is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be made about cause and effect, they said.

The study did not distinguish between regular and binge drinking.