Link between metals and IVF success rates?

• Position: In Vitro Fertilization - Brief article

With nearly 2,000,000 U.S. couples experiencing health issues related to reproduction, in vitro fertilization and similar assisted reproductive technologies have become a common practice to increase the chances of conceiving and maintaining pregnancy successfully. However, concern has grown about the use of high-dose drug regimens and multiple embryo transfer strategies to increase the likelihood of live birth.

With a 60% increase in the number of women reporting difficulty getting pregnant--including a 200% increase among women less than 25 years old--epidemiologists closely are monitoring associations between exposure to metal toxicants (such as mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic) and reduced fertility and poorer IVF outcomes.

University at Albany (N.Y.) School of Public Health researcher Michael Bloom is examining the impact of metals on assisted reproductive technologies. Working in conjunction with co-investigators from the University of California, San Francisco, University at Buffalo (N.Y.), and the Wadsworth...