Why the Chances of Fertility Decreases with the Increase in Maternal Age?

When a woman reaches thirty-five or more and plans a pregnancy, that age is called advanced maternal age. The beginning point of a woman’s reproductive age is 12-13 years when she gets first menstruation. Menopause is the term used to determine the termination of the reproductive age of a woman.

The definition of advanced maternal age varies from one corner of the world to another. A woman’s fertility decreases with the increase in her age since the quality of eggs produced in her body deteriorates. Besides, the number of healthy eggs produced also reduces with age, and thus, infertility increases.

Women often face several pregnancy-related problems when they try to conceive above the age of thirty-five. They often undergo miscarriages, inability to conceive, and other risks. These problems are common to women worldwide since their fertility decreases gradually.

Reasons behind Fertility Declination with Advanced Maternal Age

• Eggs become aged: When a female is born, she has all the eggs present in her ovary. These eggs are released every month once her reproductive age starts. A woman’s increasing age affects her remaining eggs, and thus, chances of miscarriages and infertility increase.
• Problems in Reproductive Organs: Age can harm several reproductive organs in a woman, like damaged fallopian tubes, endometrial polyps, and uterine fibroids. These issues have a major contribution to infertility in women.

Risks Associated with Advanced Maternal Age

• Increases chances of conceiving multiple babies.
• Constant failure in becoming pregnant.
• Increased chances of developing hypertension and gestational diabetes.
• Higher probability of opting for C-section.
• More changes of chromosomal irregularities.
• Higher chances of delivering a baby with a low weight much before the delivery date.
• Increased chances of miscarriages.

Tips to Increase Pregnancy Chances at Advanced Maternal Ages

• Have a healthy lifestyle and maintain proper weight.
• Do not smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, or take hard drugs.

Conceive Successfully with Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART)

The chances of having a healthy pregnancy reduce gradually with the advancement in a woman’s age. However, one can conceive successfully with the help of Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART). In this process, a woman’s eggs are extracted after stimulating the ovary and fertilized externally within a lab (IVF technique). Then the embryo is implanted into the woman’s body.

Women with bad-quality eggs can opt for egg donors for top-quality eggs. Besides, laser hatching is another technique where egg implantation is done using advanced technologies. This will assure successful implantation of the egg and guaranteed pregnancy.