Mysuru: “The increasing age does affect the chances of a woman becoming pregnant, which is why In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) has become a bright ray of hope for women in 40s,” says Dr Nivedita Shetty, Chief of Reproductive Medicine, Columbia Asia Hospital, Mysuru.
During a talk on IVF, Dr Nivedita said, “Nevertheless, IVF is proving its mettle well as the most effective Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and providing hopes to women of all age groups to never give up their wish to raise a family. The probability of success with IVF treatments can vary with the woman’s age, the infertility cause, quality of retrieved eggs and semen quality. If necessary, IVF can be done using the eggs, sperms or embryos of younger anonymous donors. It is significant to keep in mind that each couple’s chance is variable and one should not compare their prospects to other individuals. Since the pregnancy depends on various factors, some women may not conceive in the first cycle of IVF, but that does not mean they will never. Sometimes, more than one IVF cycle, is required for a person but pregnancy is still possible. A treatment plan that is individualized according to the person’s health and involvement of other specialties, of medicine is imperative in IVF, especially in older women. Hence, a vital aspect is the choice of a fertility setup with experienced personnel and a high quality ART laboratory”.
“However, there are several factors which can influence the probability of having a healthy baby with IVF, the most important being the age of the woman. It has proven to be a boon for couples, who otherwise had lost hopes of starting their family, especially, older women who wish to get pregnant after 40 years of age. More and more women are excelling in their careers and are opting for a delay in pregnancy, sometimes even when they are closer to menopause. IVF is helping women push boundaries” added Dr Nivedita.
IVF can be considered under the following infertility circumstances
*Low sperm counts
*Bilateral tubal blocks
*Severe endometriosis
*If simpler treatments like IUI have not succeeded.
*Previous tubal sterilization where there has been no pregnancy inspite of reversal of the sterilization.
