Today, women pursue careers and marry late and thus delay child bearing. Career advancement, lack of a desired partner / stable relationship or insufficient funds to raise a family are various reasons. It is heartening to see women zooming ahead, but unfortunately, many women are unaware that the biological clock is also zooming ahead with age. It becomes increasingly difficult for older women to get pregnant on their own.
Women at age 40 face a 40% chance of miscarriage and a very low pregnancy rate even after IVF. The best time to freeze eggs would be by early 30s because chromosomal errors in embryos derived from older eggs are much higher. By the age of 45, the risk of miscarriage increases to 75 %. Donor eggs are not a feasible option for many due to ethical and cultural reasons. Thus, freezing a woman’s eggs at 30, gives her the chance of having her own genetic baby, whenever she wants to. In recent years, the procedure of freezing one’s eggs has gained mainstream attention! Women have been showing a growing interest towards it and the internet is flooded with such articles calling it as the “Backup plan” and “fertility Insurance”! As a result, proper education regarding the procedure by a fertility specialist is the need of the hour.
Egg freezing was done using slow freezing in the past with poor results. The first frozen egg baby was born in 1986, but the success rates were so low that egg freezing was avoided. But with the advent of Vitrification i.e. rapid freezing, it has increased egg survival and gives excellent pregnancy rates.
Traditionally, egg freezing has been utilized in those women who have extra eggs when they go through assisted reproduction, and in those women who are being treated for cancer in order to preserve their eggs which may be destroyed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Currently its use has been extended to “social egg freezing” i.e. egg freezing by single women who have not yet found the right partner in life or by married women who wish to delay their pregnancies for social or medical reasons.
Proper counseling is needed regarding the risks involved, to all women prior to freezing. The risk of ovarian hyper-stimulation, the financial implications of the procedure and the risk of the vitrified eggs not leading to a pregnancy should be stressed upon before embarking on the procedures.
With over 3 decades of experience, we at Gynaecworld completely understand a woman’s world and are here to look after the medical hurdles that come your way. You are the center of all our efforts!!!
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