How old is too old for successful in vitro fertilization (IVF)? The question of whether to establish an IVF age cutoff is controversial throughout the infertility community, and there are passionate arguments on both sides. With more individuals and couples delaying parenthood, it's an important discussion.
The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology reports cumulative live birth rates using IVF and the patient's own eggs as 13.4 percent at age 41 to 42 and 4.1 percent for patients older than 42. But that doesn't tell the whole story. Age impacts fertility and maternal health in many ways. Learn how these factors shape the debate of establishing an age cutoff for IVF.
How Parental Age Affects Pregnancy Odds
Advanced reproductive age for women is generally defined as 37 and older. As a woman ages, fewer eggs become available for recruitment and maturation. More important than quantity, however, is a woman's egg quality — whether the eggs are genetically normal. While an older woman may have a bountiful ovarian reserve, those eggs are more likely to have chromosomal abnormalities.
Advanced reproductive age for men is generally considered over 40 or 45 years old. Unlike women and eggs, men never stop producing sperm except in cases of disease or structural damage. Similar to the connection between maternal age and oocyte health, however, older men often produce more sperm with chromosomal abnormalities (specifically diploidy) and decreased vitality.
The Argument for Allowing IVF for Older Patients
The Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) reports that opponents of IVF for older women frequently cite two reasons: the potential "futility" or "very poor prognosis" of fertility treatments, and an older mother's capacity to carry a healthy pregnancy and raise a child.
Most fertility clinics set an age limit, often between 42 and 45 years old, for a woman to use her own eggs. However, the ASRM committee opinion concludes that "limited treatment may be provided after a process of explicit education and examination of values."
This treatment may be successful. Frontiers in Endocrinology points out the many current and emerging options for helping patients achieve pregnancy at advanced reproductive age, including IVF protocols that maximize ovarian response, egg freezing and preimplantation genetic testing.
The journal Menopause found that having children later may actually extend a woman's life span. A study published in Population and Development Review found that children also benefit from their mother's choice to wait: Out of a sample of more than 1.5 million people born between 1968 and 2013, children born to mothers over 30 — and even over 40 — enjoyed better long-term physical health and educational success.
The Argument for an IVF Age Cutoff
On the other side of the debate, the same ASRM committee also concludes that providing IVF treatment is not ethical if a provider does not believe it will be successful. Clinicians should be upfront about the risks of pregnancy at a later reproductive age, including miscarriage, complications and genetic abnormalities.
The likelihood of older mothers to achieve a live birth without severe complications has been heavily researched. Numerous studies find that advanced maternal age puts both the mother and child at risk for everything from preterm delivery to preeclampsia and death.
The ASRM sets a hard line in Fertility and Sterility: "Embryo transfer should be strongly discouraged or denied to any woman over age 50 with underlying issues that could increase or further obstetrical risks, and discouraged in women over age 55 without such issues."
Both sides of this debate have strong arguments, and it's unlikely the controversy will clear up any time soon. More research and discussion are needed on the impact of age on the success rate of fertility treatments and maternal and child health.
FAQs
The Argument for an IVF Age Cutoff
Should there be an age limit for IVF? ›
Although rare, women over 50 have had successful pregnancies with IVF. However, it is more common practice to limit the upper age for IVF patients to around the mid-40s. Although women older than 45 have had successful IVF pregnancies, that doesn't mean it's recommended for all older women wishing to become pregnant.
Why does age matter in IVF? ›
Age affects the success of IVF and overall fertility in a number of ways. As a woman ages, she has fewer eggs that are not as healthy as eggs in younger years. Aging women tend to have a higher risk of developing health conditions that can impact fertility such as uterine fibroids and endometriosis.
What age is too early for IVF? ›
But it's important to note that IVF has no age-based restrictions. You can opt for an IVF at any age. But it's possible that as your age increases, the success rate of IVF will decrease. In such cases, conceiving your own egg could be difficult.
At what age is IVF most effective? ›
Women under the age of 35 have the most success, but between the ages of 35 and 37 also have a 40.5% rate of success. Women between the ages of 38 and 40 have a lower success rate at 26t. 4% and over 40 has the lowest success rate at 8.2% according to CDC data.
Why does IVF success rate decrease with age? ›
Why IVF Success Decreases with Age. As a woman ages, there tends to be a lower number of eggs, as well as reduced egg quality. This may contribute to poor embryo quality, which lowers the chances that implantation within the uterus will occur.
Should I try IVF at 43? ›
Fertility After Age 40 – IVF in the 40s. At age 40 and above women have reduced fertility potential as compared to that seen in younger women. They also have substantially lower success rates with fertility treatments including in vitro fertilization (IVF).
What is the highest age IVF? ›
However, though the maximum age for IVF treatment may vary from clinic to clinic, most fertility specialists do not recommend undergoing IVF treatment past the age of 45, at least not if the patient plans to use her own eggs. But even this is just a general recommendation.
Should I do an era for IVF? ›
While ERA testing is marketed as a way to help personalize fertility treatment and increase the chances of pregnancy, there's still limited research on its efficacy. Some studies have shown that ERA testing may be helpful for women who have experienced recurrent implantation failure or had multiple failed IVF cycles.
Why is IVF controversial? ›
Although members of all religious groups can be found on both sides of the issues, the major opposition has come from the Roman Catholic church, which in 1987 issued a doctrinal statement opposing IVF on three grounds: the destruction of human embryos not used for implantation; the possibility of in vitro fertilization ...
Erramatti Mangamma, who gave birth at the age of 73 through in-vitro fertilisation via caesarean section in the city of Hyderabad, India, currently holds the record for being the oldest living mother. She delivered twin baby girls, making her also the oldest mother to give birth to twins.
At what age IVF is needed? ›
Women under the age of 35 have the highest chance of a birth while the most common age group who seek IVF treatment, those aged between 35 and 39, have a 23% rate of having a baby.
What is the age limit for natural pregnancy? ›
A woman's peak reproductive years are between the late teens and late 20s. By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline happens faster once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely.
Is there a cut off age for IVF? ›
There isn't a standard maximum age for IVF. It can and has been performed on women in their late 40s and 50s. With that said, success rates decrease with patient age and the risk of pregnancy complications increases. As a result, the general upper age limit for IVF is somewhere between the early to mid-40s.
What is the average age for IVF patients? ›
The number of egg storage cycles increased from around 2,500 in 2019 to over 4,200 in 2021 (+64%). The number of embryo storage cycles increased from around 8,300 in 2019 to over 10,700 in 2021 (+30%). The average age of IVF patients increased to 36 years old and DI patients' average age was 34 in 2021.
Have any IVF babies had babies? ›
Currently, the first IVF-conceived people are now more than 30 years old, and some of them have conceived children. A mouse model study (de Waal et al., 2012) showed that although ART can influence the epigenetic outcome of its offspring, there are no lifelong or transgenerational effects.
Is 37 too old for IVF? ›
Realistically, you can always undergo IVF unless you have experienced ovarian failure and/or menopause. However, pregnancy success rates using your own eggs drops considerably for women over 40.
Is 40 too old to have a baby IVF? ›
It's entirely possible to get pregnant using your own eggs over 40. Yet, for some people, there seems to be an egg quality or quantity issue that we can't overcome. This is especially true for women over age 43 or 44. Donor eggs in this situation could greatly increase the chances of getting pregnant through IVF.
Is 35 too late for IVF? ›
For those who go on to use assisted reproductive technologies (ART), there is still more hope. According to the most recent data, for example, in 2020 for example, 40.6% of all egg retrievals for 35- to 37-year-old female patients in the US led to live births. That's lower than the average of 54.1% for under-35s.
What is the best IVF protocol for over 40? ›
The best solution for such patients is the mini-IVF protocol using a very highly specialized pure air environment of the highest industrial “clean room” grade, and an absolutely safe and reliable system for embryo freezing, and a uniquely mild ovarian stimulation protocol.
