6 Common Reasons that Cause Fertility Treatments to Fail!
Continuous or even a single failed IVF cycle can unleash a tornado of emotions for a couple. Going into the cycle, couples feel certain anticipation and building excitement, of finally starting a family. With a constant question in their head, will it work? A failed cycle can cause the partners to feel an extensive sense of grief or anger.
It is difficult for them to understand what went wrong? Why doesn’t the IVF treatment work on some patients, while some are able to conceive in just one cycle? Is it even worth it to be tried again? It is normal to feel grieve as one comes in for the procedure hoping for instant results, but blaming oneself or the partner is not a solution for this problem.
Because chances are these failures are occurring because of something else. Take your concerns to a fertility specialist and let them explain what happened and what should be done next.
Here are some common reasons that cause IVF Cycles to fail:
Embryo Quality
One of the top reason for failed IVF cycles is embryo quality. Many embryos are unable to develop and grow into a baby after the uterus transfer as they are flawed/ damaged in some way. Healthy looking embryos may also have defects that cause them to get destroyed instead of growing. In the majority of cases, females don’t have any disorder or disease in their uterus that prevents them from carrying a baby; rather, it is the quality of embryo used in the IVF Treatment. The only reason why an embryo doesn’t implant is because it was not healthy in the first place to grow.
Age of the Eggs
In IVF treatment, the age of the eggs plays a more significant role than the women’s age. The quantity and quality of the eggs of the woman are called her ovarian reserve, that started deteriorating as she grows older. This affects the patients’ chances of achieving success with an IVF treatment. On average, only 25 % embryos transferred into a uterus result in the birth of a baby. But this depends on how old a woman’s eggs are.
Women under the age of 35 using their eggs during IVF treatment have egg implantation rate of 45 %.
Women ranging from 40 to 42 years who use their own eggs during IVF only have a 15% chance of implantation.
Older women can use donor eggs, of younger women, and achieve IVF success. Good quality eggs make healthy embryos that deliver successful implantations, and younger women produce better quality eggs.
Ovarian Response
In some cases, the patient’s ovaries are unable to respond strongly to the fertility medications and don’t produce multiple eggs. Especially, if the patient in question is 37 plus in age or has high FSH levels, she will not produce enough eggs for embryos screening or potential implantation. Chances of IVF failure are higher when this happens.
Consult a reproductive endocrinologist who will evaluate the cause and provide a suitable solution, or change the fertility medications for your next IVF cycle.
Chromosomal Issues
Other major factors resulting in failed IVF treatments include the presence of chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo. This is valid for every human fetus, whether conceived naturally or developed inside an embryology lab. These abnormalities are the cause of most miscarriages and IVF implant failures. Studies claim that after the age of 30, women start developing chromosomal abnormalities in their eggs, which begins to increase as they age. By their mid-40s, more than 75% of female eggs have chromosomal abnormalities.
A man’s sperm can also develop chromosomal abnormalities with aging as well, but at a lower rate compared to the eggs of a woman.
Your fertility specialist may recommend you to undergo PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) after a failed IVF for the next cycle. PGS tests analyze the cells of an embryo for determining if the number of chromosomes present in it is correct or not. IVF is a science, but it’s also an art. So, it is better to receive treatment from an experienced reproductive endocrinologist or a young doctor with training in cutting edge technology? Well, make a choice based on their success rate. Ensure how you and your partner feel before signing up for a second IVF cycle.
Lifestyle Factors
Many fertility specialists recommend women to stop drinking and smoking three months before their IVF treatment. Female smokers require almost double IVF cycles for conceiving a child, and even if they do conceive, they have a high risk of miscarriage. Overweight or underweight women are also likely to face problems during an IVF treatment. The bottom line for the patients is to maintain a healthy weight.
