IVF is safe over 50 if it is not fatal

摘要

In vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive techniques have become more popular and accessible and in turn the number of IVF cycles has increased-in the United Kingdom in 2010, over 57,652 cycles of IVF or intracystoplas-mic sperm injection were performed in 45,264 women. A third of women used donor eggs and 1.9% of women were over the age of 45. The proportion of women wishing to conceive outside the reproductive age range is set to increase further in the future. It is important that women have information to decide whether IVF is safe to pursue. A recent case series of 101 women over the age of 50 using donor egg IVF to conceive concluded they were at high risk of maternal complications of pregnancy including hypertensive disorders and cesarean section but only drew a comparison of similar risk to singleton pregnancies in younger women using donor egg IVF.