Pregnancy outcomes decline in recipients over age 44: an analysis of 27,959 fresh donor oocyte in vitro fertilization cycles from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology

Abstract

Objective: To use a large and recent national registry to provide an updated report on the effect of recipient age on the outcome of donor oocyte in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: United States national registry for assisted reproductive technology.

Patient(s): Recipients of donor oocyte treatment cycles between 2008 and 2010, with cycles segregated into five age cohorts: ≤34, 35 to 39, 40 to 44, 45 to 49, and ≥50 years.

Intervention(s): None.

Main outcome measure(s): Implantation, clinical pregnancy, live-birth, and miscarriage rates.

Result(s): In donor oocyte IVF cycles, all age cohorts ≤39 years had similar rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth when compared with the 40- to 44-year-old reference group. Patients in the two oldest age groups (45 to 49, ≥50 years) experienced statistically significantly lower rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth compared with the reference group. Additionally, all outcomes in the ≥50-year-old group were statistically significantly worse than the 45- to 49-year-old group, demonstrating progressive decline with advancing age.

Conclusion(s): Recent national registry data suggest that donor oocyte recipients have stable rates of pregnancy outcomes before age 45, after which there is a small but steady and significant decline.

Keywords: Oocyte recipient; age; decline; donor; success rates.