Skip to main content
Log in

Clinical Assisted Reproduction: The Number of Embryos Available for Transfer Predicts Successful Pregnancy Outcome in Women over 39 Years with Normal Ovarian Hormonal Reserve Testing

  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose was to determine whether the number of embryos available for transfer following IVF in women over age 39 predicted a successful pregnancy outcome.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 455 consecutive IVF cycles in women ≥ years of age.

Results: Few cycles were canceled (29/455, 6.4%) or produced no embryos (5/455, 1.1%). Women 40–43 years of age with normal ovarian reserve had a significantly greater delivery rate when ≥4 embryos were available for transfer than when <4 embryos were available (17.8% versus 2.4%, P = 0.002). Subsequent IVF cycles, from women with normal FSH whose first cycle produced <4 embryos, produced delivery rates of 13.0% when ≥4 embryos were available. Women with abnormal ovarian reserve or age ≥44 years had very low delivery rates (1.2% and 1.4% respectively).

Conclusions: The number of embryos available for transfer significantly predicts delivery from IVF–ET among reproductively older women. Many women age 40–43 with normal ovarian reserve can achieve pregnancy through IVF.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Scott RT, Toner JP, Muasher SJ, Oehninger S, Robinson S, Rosenwaks Z: Follicle-stimulating hormone levels on cycle day 3 are predictive of in vitro fertilization outcome. Fertil Steril 1989;51(4):651-654

    Google Scholar 

  2. Scott RT, Leonardi MR, Hofmann GE, Illions EH, Neal GS, Navot D: A prospective evaluation of clomiphene citrate challenge test screening of the general infertility population. Obstet Gynecol 1993;82(4 Pt 1):539-544

    Google Scholar 

  3. Scott RT, Opsahl MS, Leonardi MR, Neall GS, Illions EH, Navot D: Life table analysis of pregnancy rates in a general infertility population relative to ovarian reserve and patient age. Hum Reprod 1995;10(7):1706-1710

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hee J, MacNaughton J, Bangah M, Burger HG: Perimenopausal patterns of gonadotrophins, immunoreactive inhibin, oestradiol and progesterone. Maturitas 1993;18(1): 9-20

    Google Scholar 

  5. Toner JP, Philput CB, Jones GS, Muasher SJ: Basal folliclestimulating hormone level is a better predictor of in vitro fertilization performance than age. Fertil Steril 1991;55(4):784-791

    Google Scholar 

  6. Widra EA, Gindoff PR, Smotrich DB, Stillman RJ: Achieving multiple-order embryo transfer identifies women over 40 years of age with improved in vitro fertilization outcome. Fertil Steril 1996;65(1):103-108

    Google Scholar 

  7. Roest J, van Heusden AM, Mous H, Zeilmaker GH, Verhoeff A: The ovarian response as a predictor for successful in vitro fertilization treatment after the age of 40 years. Fertil Steril 1996;66(6):969-973

    Google Scholar 

  8. Taylor AE, Khoury RH, Crowley WF Jr: A comparison of 13 different immunometric assay kits for gonadotropins: Implications for clinical investigation. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1994;79(1):240-247

    Google Scholar 

  9. Tanbo T, Dale PO, Abyholm T, Stokke KT: Follicle stimulating hormone as a prognostic indicator in clomiphene citrate/human menopausal gonadotrophin-stimulated cycles for in-vitro fertilization. Hum Reprod 1989;4(6):647-650

    Google Scholar 

  10. Loumaye E, Engrand P, Howles CM, O'Dea L: Assessment of the role of serum luteinizing hormone and estradiol response to follicle-stimulating hormone on in vitro fertilization treatment outcome. Fertil Steril 1997;67(5):889-899

    Google Scholar 

  11. Scott RT Jr, Hofmann GE, Oehninger S, Muasher SJ: Intercycle variability of day 3 follicle-stimulating hormone levels and its effect on stimulation quality in in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 1990;54(2):297-302

    Google Scholar 

  12. Martin JS, Nisker JA, Tummon IS, Daniel SA, Auckland JL, Feyles V: Future in vitro fertilization pregnancy potential of women with variably elevated day 3 follicle-stimulating hormone levels. Fertil Steril 1996;65(6):1238-1240

    Google Scholar 

  13. Klein NA, Battaglia DE, FujimotoVY, Davis GS, Bremner WJ, Soules MR: Reproductive aging: Accelerated ovarian follicular development associated with a monotropic follicle-stimulating hormone rise in normal older women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996;81(3):1038-1045

    Google Scholar 

  14. Brown JR, Liu HC, Sewitch KF, Rosenwaks Z, Berkeley AS: Variability of day 3 follicle-stimulating hormone levels in eumenorrheic women. J Reprod Med 1995;40(9):620-624

    Google Scholar 

  15. Buyalos RP, Ghosh K, Daneshmand ST: Infertile women of advanced reproductive age. Variability of day 3 FSH and E2 levels. J Reprod Med 1998;43(12):1023-1026

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Opsahl, M.S., Blauer, K.L., Black, S.H. et al. Clinical Assisted Reproduction: The Number of Embryos Available for Transfer Predicts Successful Pregnancy Outcome in Women over 39 Years with Normal Ovarian Hormonal Reserve Testing. J Assist Reprod Genet 18, 551–556 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011906024170

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011906024170

Navigation