Letters

Alcohol consumption is not related to fertility in Italian women

EDITORJensen et al observed decreased fecundability among women who drank alcohol compared with those who did not.¹ The decrease was found even among women reporting a weekly intake of five or fewer drinks. The authors call for further corroboration of their findings.

We analysed the relation between alcohol intake and difficulties in conception, using data collected on women in the control group of a case-control study of risk factors for spontaneous abortion.² The present analysis is based on 1769 women (median age 31 years, range 14-45) who gave birth on randomly selected days at the Clinica Luigi Mangiagalli (the largest obstetric hospital in Milan) and a network of obstetric departments in the greater Milan area. During their stay in hospital the women were interviewed by trained interviewers. Information was collected about general sociodemographic characteristics and habits (including lifetime alcohol drinking) and gynaecological and obstetric history. Difficulty in conception was defined as taking two or more years to conceive or receiving medical treatment for infertility.

Of the 1769 women interviewed, 135 (median age 32 years, range 22-43) reported difficulty in conception. These women were compared with the 1634 women reporting no such difficulty. We found no relation between alcohol drinking and risk of difficulty in conception. In comparison with never drinkers, the multivariate odds ratios for difficulty in conceiving after age, education, history of spontaneous abortion, and smoking were adjusted for were 0.9 (95% confidence interval 0.6 to 1.3) for women reporting fewer than two drinks a day while trying to conceive and 1.0 (0.6 to 1.7) for those reporting two or more drinks a day (table).

These data agree with the results of previous studies. ^{3 4} They should, however, be considered cautiously. In particular, we included only women who had difficulty in conception but had a successful pregnancy. Despite this limitation, these findings do not support an increased risk of difficulty in conception among moderate alcohol drinkers.

Fabio Parazzini, Chief, analytical epidemiology unit. 
Liliane Chatenoud, Researcher. 
Elisabetta Di Cintio, Senior fellow.  .
Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, 20157 Milan, Italy

Carlo La Vecchia, Professor of Epidemiology.  .
Istituto di Statistica Medica e Biometria, Università di Milano, 20133 Milan

Guido Benzi, Researcher.  .
Prima Clinica Ostetrico Ginecologica, Università di Milano, 20100 Milan

Luigi Fedele, Director, obstetric and gynaecology clinics.  .
Ospedale Policlinico, Borgo Roma, Università di Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy

1. Jensen TK, Hjollund NHI, Henriksen TB, Scheike T, Kolstad H, Giwercman A, et al. Does moderate alcohol consumption affect fertility? Follow up study among couples planning first pregnancy. BMJ 1998; 317: 505-510[Abstract/Free Full Text]. (22 July.)
2. Parazzini F, Chatenoud L, Tozzi L, Benzi G, Dal Pino D, Fedele L. Determinants of risk of spontaneous abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy. Epidemiology 1997; 8: 681-683[Medline].
3. Florack EIM, Zielhuis GA, Rolland R. Cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and caffeine intake and fecundability. Prev Med 1994; 23: 175-180[Medline].
4. Olsen J, Bolumar F, Boldsen J, Bisanti L, European Study Group of Infertility and Subfecundity. Does moderate alcohol intake reduce fecundability? A European multicenter study on infertility and subfecundity. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1997; 21: 206-212[Medline].