Weight and Fertility: Implications of obesity on assisted reproduction treatments

Currently there are conflicting views regarding the relationship between being overweight and assisted reproduction treatments such as in Vitro fertilisation (IVF) and egg donation. Restrictive medical protocols in some countries lead to a high BMI being an obstacle to receiving ART.

This is a controversial subject as research papers published recently have failed to find this relationship between weight and fertility.

Faced with other studies that have shown a strong link between being overweight and infertility: the more overweight a woman is, the less chance she will have of obtaining a pregnancy and higher the risk of obstetric complications. These complications include ovulation disorders, deficiency at the luteal phase, lower quality embryos and lower pregnancy rates and births. They also have a higher risk of developing serious medical problems during pregnancy, for example, diabetes and high blood pressure.

At Instituto Bernabeu not only are we committed to the birth of a healthy child, but also to the health of the mother during and after pregnancy. For this, a personalised treatment plan and monitoring programme are fundamental reflecting the personal characteristics and needs of each patient.