It goes without saying that women undergoing IVF treatment are desperate to conceive so they can have a child of their own.

But, while they may believe they are looking after their health by opting for diet versions rather than full-fat soft drinks, it turns out they could be doing more harm than good.

A new report into findings of research which looked at 524 women undergoing IVF treatment has revealed that those who regularly consumed soda and other soft drinks could be harming their chances of conceiving.

Researchers questioned women about what they were eating and drinking in the time period they were having IVF.

The found there was a connection between low-calorie sweeteners, including saccharin and sucralose, and reduced fertility rates.

And while it is not unreasonable to assume that having drinks with sweeteners rather than sugar would be a healthier option, both types of soda were found to raise the risk that an embryo would suffer from at least one deformity.

Women who drank unsweetened coffee were found to have a better egg quality and chance of pregnancy.

The validity of the study has been questioned because of its narrow field. Other scientists said that a patient’s weight should have also been taken into consideration as lower pregnancy rates could have been a result of obesity rather than sugar or sweetener use.

However, Professor Adam Balen, who is chairman of the British Fertility Society, said its findings should be the subject of further research.

He said: “This is a very interesting study that suggests the false promise of artificial sweeteners that are found in soft drinks and added to drinks, such as coffee, may have a significant effect on the quality and fertility of women’s eggs and this may further impact on the chances of conception.”

Prof Balen went on the describe the findings as “highly significant” adding that there should be further scrutiny of the additives which go into our food and drink and better information should be made available to people hoping to become parents.

Other experts have, however, spoken about the need for caution in making assumptions on wider reproductive outcomes based only on IVF patients.

Researchers from the Federal University of Sao Paulo have now presented the findings of their study to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine congress in Salt Lake City, Utah.