Age and fertility: Results of assisted reproductive technology in women over 40 years

Impact of male age on the outcome of assisted reproductive technology cycles using donor oocytes

“…The effect of age on both in-vivo and in-vitro reproductive success has been well demonstrated for females (Battaglia et al, 1996;Navot et al, 1991;Schwartz and Mayaux, 1982). Advanced maternal age is associated with decreased fertilization and implantation rates, as well as a higher rate of miscarriages, caused primarily by an increase in chromosomal abnormalities in oocytes and embryos (Angell, 1994;Meldrum, 1993;Munne et al, 1995;Wood et al, 1992).…”

Prospective controlled study to evaluate laboratory and clinical outcomes of oocyte vitrification obtained in in vitro fertilization patients aged 30 to 39 years

“…As atresia continues, both the number and quality of oocytes fall below a critical level. This accelerated loss is poorly understood and is often associated with a monotropic rise in the level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and decreased fertility (2,3), as well as an increased rate of aneuploidy, a finding that is related at least in part to problems of the meiotic spindle resulting in chromosome nondisjunction (4,5). Because oocytes that are lost cannot be replaced, women who do not plan to conceive until after this age may wish to consider options to preserve fertility.…”

Accelerated decline in pregnancy rate after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer in 35–41‐year‐old women: 15 years’ experience in the Okinawa Islands, Japan

“…The ratio of ET cycles to retrieval cycles also decreased significantly with increasing age, although the fertilization rate in cultured oocytes was not necessary lower even in older groups as described previously. 7,22,23 The results indicate that the agedependent decrease in the ratio of ET cycles to retrieval cycles is mainly the result of an age-dependent decrease in the number of oocytes obtained per retrieval cycle. The clinical pregnancy rate per ET cycle declined significantly and drastically with age, and adversely the abortion rate increased significantly and was accompanied by an extremely high incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in the abortion materials examined.…”