Fertility Treatments and motherhood after age 40

Current hectic lifestyle, in combination with women seeking emotional, professional, and financial security prior to embarking on starting a family, has increased the number of 1st time mums over 40. Seeking motherhood beyond the optimal biological reproductive age is faced with fertility issues.

How age affects pregnancy over 40?

Indeed, achieving motherhood over 40 can be challenging. Advanced age is related with both diminishing ovarian reserve as well as ovarian quality restricting the chances of conception per cycle down to 5% at 40 and 1% at the age of 45, while on the contrary pregnancy loss occurrence rises to 40% at 40 and 80% at 45.

In addition to the difficulty in getting pregnant, pregnancies over 40 bear a higher risk of both fetal, maternal and obstetrical complications at birth increasing C-section rates up to 50%.

How can we assist women over 40 to achieve motherhood?

The implementation of ART (Artificial Reproductive Technologies) improves pregnancy rates which reach 18% at 40 but gradually decrease and cannot exceed 1% at 45.

The implementation of pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-a) and the selective transfer of only euploid embryos, embryos with normal number and structure of chromosomes, we can achieve success rates similar to women under 35.

The obstacle of age-related aneuploidy can also be overcome with the use of donor eggs or own eggs cryopreserved at a younger age through social egg freezing cycles, sky-rocketing the pregnancy rates up to 40-50%.

What is preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy and what is its role in achieving motherhood after 40? (PGΤ)?

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is a procedure used in reproductive medicine to detect birth defects in embryos before they are transferred back in the mother's womb. This is usually performed in cases where there is a high risk of transmitting a monogenic disorder or chromosomal abnormalities to the next generation.

Especially in women over 40, this classification is geared towards assessing the chromosome copy number in embryonic cells prior to implantation. Its primary objective is to identify any irregularities in chromosome copy numbers, such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) or other trisomies/monosomies. The purpose of this method is to enhance the likelihood of successful implantation.

PGT-A can be applied in our country to couples who meet at least one of the following criteria: a) Ηistory of two or more miscarriages of the first trimester of chromosomal or unknown etiology b) History of three or more failed IVF cycles c) The woman is of advanced reproductive age (≥40 years).

Couples opting for PGT at Assisting Nature benefit from all the service's advantages, as all analyses are conducted in-house, ensuring security and confidence in the outcomes.