This question is the most asked question that fertility doctors receive. Of course this is understandable. You are about to fork out over $10 grand and have high hopes for success. Everyone wants to know the odds for a successful pregnancy before entering IVF (In Virtro Fertilization).
In 2002 about 28% of cycles in the United States in which women underwent IVF and embryo transfer with their own eggs resulted in the live birth of at least one infant. Since 2002 we have seen this number slowly creep up! So good news the odds are about 1 in 3. Now, there is a HUGE but in this number for IVF success. The facts are enormous that effect the outcome of IVF.
Success varies with many factors. The age of the woman is the most important factor, when women are using their own eggs. Success rates decline as women age, and success rates drop off even more dramatically after about age 37. Part of this decline is due to a lower chance of getting pregnant from ART, and part is due to a higher risk of miscarriage with increasing age, especially over age 40. There is, however, no evidence that the risk of birth defects or chromosome abnormalities (such as Down’s syndrome) is any different with ART than with natural conception.
This age related decrease in success begins to accelerate after age 35 and even quicker after 40. Overall, 37% of cycles started in 2003 among women younger than 35 resulted in live births. This percentage dropped to 30% among women 35–37 years of age, 20% among women 38–40, 11% among women 41–42, and 4% among women older than 42.
Each year we are seeing the odds tick up which is great news for all of those who are interested in entering the IVF program.