In vitro fertilization and the age of the parents
S.Kholin, Scientific.ru
The achievements of modern medicine make it possible to effectively treat numerous complex human diseases, including diseases of the female genital sphere. The latter cause the formation of infertility in many married couples. It's no secret that the absence of children is practically the main reason for the destruction of families and the appearance of conflicts between spouses. Therefore, the treatment of childlessness is not only a medical, but also a social problem.
Pregnancy can occur with a mandatory combination of two conditions: 1) the complete readiness of the uterine mucosa to attach a fertilized egg; 2) the actual fertilization of the egg, which occurs when the genetic material of the sperm and egg merges. Both of these conditions depend on the activity of the endocrine system, the absence of adverse factors, the state of the immune system, etc. Often there is a situation in which it is almost impossible to explain why healthy spouses do not develop pregnancy after long-term cohabitation.
Diseases leading to infertility are quite widespread, since they are caused by both congenital pathology and acquired pathological processes (inflammatory and venereal diseases, damage to the ovaries, fallopian tubes, endometriosis, etc.). All of them are characterized by extremely high resistance to treatment. Therefore, in most cases, in vitro fertilization remains the only method of combating infertility.
Technically, this method is not complicated. In a woman, gynecologists use a fairly simple manipulation to obtain an egg, after which male germ cells (spermatozoa) are added to it (or injected into the cytoplasm), after which they observe the fertilization process. When a fertilized egg begins to actively divide, it is placed in the uterus of a woman at a certain point in the ovarian-menstrual cycle. After that, the egg is fixed in the mucous membrane of the uterus, and pregnancy may occur.
It cannot be said that this method is ideal. Unfortunately, it has quite a few drawbacks. But the main question that is always asked by a married couple coming to the doctor is: how high is the probability of having a live and healthy child after in vitro fertilization. It is not always possible for a gynecologist to give an encouraging answer even after a thorough examination of the spouses, since in some cases not only the birth of a child with severe pathology is possible, but also the appearance of an unviable fetus.
Naturally, such situations worry not only future parents, but also medical specialists who provide them with appropriate assistance. There is no doubt that both sides are interested not so much in the fact of pregnancy itself, as in the birth of an absolutely healthy child. Therefore, any information regarding the course of embryogenesis (child development) after the in vitro fertilization procedure is extremely important.
A large group of scientists from the USA and Israel, led by Beth A. Malizia, conducted a thorough statistical study of the effectiveness of in vitro fertilization in more than 6,000 infertile couples in one of the large gynecological centers in Boston from 2000 to 2005. Most of the examined patients had to do this type of treatment repeatedly to achieve the desired result, that is, for the effective formation of the embryo, its proper development and the birth of a full-fledged child. It is considered optimal to carry out from one to six cycles of in vitro fertilization.
Analysis of the data obtained showed that parents younger than 35 years of age had a percentage of successful in vitro fertilization after six cycles of treatment of 86%, while parents older than 40 years – only 42%.
Thus, it has been established that the effectiveness of infertility treatment by in vitro fertilization is significantly higher in young parents during several cycles of this procedure.
N. Engl. J. Med. 360:236-243 (2009): Cumulative Live-Birth Rates after In Vitro Fertilization
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru28.01.2009