Author - Dr. Dr Vandana Narula, MBBS, MD (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
Consultant - Infertility specialist in sector 43 Chandigarh

Impact of Age on Your Fertility

Delayed childbearing is proving to be a major challenge in the society today. The number of women in high-income countries who have delayed childbearing has increased over the past few decades. According to Dr Vandana Narula, MBBS, MD (Obstetrics & Gynaecology), couples today delay childbearing due to various reasons including professional careers, investment in education, and so forth. Due to this, couples find it difficult to get pregnant along with higher risks for pregnancy and childbirth. Before getting pregnant, it’s important to consult the best infertility doctor in Chandigarh to evaluate your chances.

Women’s Age and Fertility

When a girl is born, she has all the eggs in her body in her ovarian reserve for her lifetime. The eggs in the body continue to age along with her, decreasing in quality and quantity. When it comes to fertility, age is the determining factor. The best infertility doctor in Chandigarh tells us that having good health improves the chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby. It, however, does not override the effects of age on a woman’s fertility. A woman in her early to mid-20s has a good chance of getting pregnant (25-30%) every month. With advancing age, her fertility starts to reduce when she is in her early 30s. It begins to deteriorate till the age of 35. By the age of 40, the chances of getting pregnant in any monthly cycle are as low as 5%.

Men’s Age and Fertility

While the effects of female age on fertility have been known for quite a long time, more studies are also showing the effects of age on male fertility. Contrary to popular belief, men do not have a secret potion to fertility and age does play a determining role. According to the best infertility doctor in Chandigarh, male fertility generally starts to deteriorate around the age of 40 to 45 years. The quality of sperm is mostly affected by age. Moreover, increasing age also reduces the overall chances of pregnancy as well as increases time to pregnancy, risk of miscarriages, and foetal death. Children of older fathers have an increased risk of mental health problems. Children of fathers aged 40 or over are 5 times more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder than children of fathers aged 30 or less. They also have a slightly increased risk of developing schizophrenia and other mental health disorders later in life.

Women’s Age and Pregnancy Complications

The risk of pregnancy complications also increases with age. Older women (greater than 35 years of age) are at risk of miscarriage or chromosomal abnormalities in the foetus. Moreover, other complications including gestational diabetes, placenta previa, stillbirth, and caesarean section are also common among older women. When a couple is unable to get pregnant or has certain complications, in-vitro fertilization or IVF presents an excellent option. When it comes to IVF, a lot of people believe that it can overcome age-related infertility problems. The best infertility doctor in Chandigarh, however, states that age can also affect the chances of IVF success. The chances of live birth according to age are:

1. 43% for women aged 30 to 34 years.
2. 31% for women aged 35 to 39 years.
3. 11% for women aged 40 to 44 years.

Age and fertility are correlated. Your chances of getting pregnant are lesser with advancing age. Hence, if you are focused on family planning, consider age as the key factor. Furthermore, make sure that you also consult Dr Vandana Narula at the Motherhood Hospitals for expert guidance.