The Effects of Serum Vitamin D on IVF Outcome
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Effects of Serum Vitamin D on IVF Outcome
IRAS ID
117130
Contact name
Aravinthan Coomarasamy
Contact email
Research summary
At least a billion people worldwide are estimated to be vitamin D deficient. Its importance in reproductive physiology is well proven in animal and human studies. A significant proportion of women undergoing IVF treatments are deficient in serum vitamin D and this may be leading to a deterioration in their chances of achieving pregnancy. As IVF cycles can cost as much as £3000 per cycle it is essential to ensure that all women undergoing treatment are at optimal health prior to treatment. It is currently not routine for women to undergo vitamin D serum level testing prior to IVF as a clear association has never been proven.
We plan to perform a prospective cohort study over twelve months at the Birmingham Women’s Hospital where serum vitamin D levels are taken from women due to undergo IVF treatment. We will record participants’ body mass index, age, ethnicity and cause of infertility and investigate their chances of clinical pregnancy rate after IVF treatment. Secondary outcome measures will include fertilisation, biochemical pregnancy rates along with other IVF treatment outcomes and later live birth rates and other obstetric outcomes.
Participants will be grouped into patients with deficient and replete serum vitamin D levels and we will investigate whether there is an association between serum vitamin D levels and IVF outcome.
The Birmingham Women’s Hospital Assisted Conception Unit see’s over 800 patients per year and we hope to recruit 490 women to this cohort study.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/WM/0258
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jul 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion