title: Live births achieved via IVF are increased by improvements in air quality and laboratory environment.
abstract: Infertility is a common disease, which causes many couples to seek treatment with assisted reproduction techniques. Many factors contribute to successful assisted reproduction technique outcomes. One important factor is laboratory environment and air quality. Our facility had the unique opportunity to compare consecutively used, but separate assisted reproduction technique laboratories, as a result of a required move. Environmental conditions were improved by strategic engineering designs. All other aspects of the IVF laboratory, including equipment, physicians, embryologists, nursing staff and protocols, were kept constant between facilities. Air quality testing showed improved air quality at the new IVF site. Embryo implantation (32.4% versus 24.3%; P < 0.01) and live birth (39.3% versus 31.8%, P < 0.05) were significantly increased in the new facility compared with the old facility. More patients met clinical criteria and underwent mandatory single embryo transfer on day 5 leading to both a reduction in multiple gestation pregnancies and increased numbers of vitrified embryos per patient with supernumerary embryos available. Improvements in IVF laboratory conditions and air quality had profound positive effects on laboratory measures and patient outcomes. This study further strengthens the importance of the laboratory environment and air quality in the success of an IVF programme.
authors.affiliation: Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 10 CRC, 10 Center Drive, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA. Electronic address: ryan.j.heitmann.mil@mail.mil.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Heitmann
authors.affiliation: Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 10 CRC, 10 Center Drive, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
authors.forename: Micah J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: ART Institute of Washington, Inc., 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
authors.forename: Aidita N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: ART Institute of Washington, Inc., 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schimmel
authors.affiliation: Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 10 CRC, 10 Center Drive, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Segars
authors.affiliation: Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 10 CRC, 10 Center Drive, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Csokmay
authors.affiliation: ART Institute of Washington, Inc., 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA; Dominion Fertility, 46 S. Glebe Road, Suite 301, Arlington, VA 22204, USA.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Payson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D050498:Live Birth; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: IVF; air quality; implantation; laboratory environment; live birth