LYON, France, July 9 A woman's mood may make the difference in conceiving a baby via in vitro fertilization, according to Canadian researchers.
Dr. Christopher Newton, of the University Hospital at Ontario's London Health Sciences Center, said that his work could lead to a better understanding of the importance of couples' emotional health during in vitro fertilization and the effect this has on their decision-making.
The researchers asked 129 female fertility patients to undertake a standardized questionnaire, the Profile of Mood States, one month before hospital fertility treatment to measure transient moods such as anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue. The women also completed a Fertility Problem Inventory that assesses and measures infertility-specific social, sexual and relationship stress.
The study found a significant association between women's mood and their perceptions of the likelihood of a multiple pregnancy. Women estimated their chance of having a multiple pregnancy as lower when they were experiencing more negative moods. One possible explanation is that negative moods lead women to knowingly make more risky choices, such as a choosing a multiple pregnancy.
The findings were presented at the 23rd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Lyon, France.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
