freezing eggs may be more successful than ivf for women over 40

egg freezing has quickly risen in popularity over the last decade: 475 american women froze eggs in 2009. that number rose to 7,276 in 2016.

by maija kappler

published may 31, 2022

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egg freezing may be more successful than ivf for women over 40

ivf and egg freezing both involve retrieval of eggs, but in ivf, eggs are then fertilized with sperm in a lab, and the resulting embryos are implanted into the uterus. getty

the practice of women freezing and storing eggs for later in life results in more babies being born than in-vitro fertilization (ivf), according to new research from new york university’s langone fertility center. the study, which included 543 patients and a total of 800 egg freezing sessions, 605 thaws and 436 egg transfers, is the largest american report on fertility preservation outcomes. the study, published in the journal fertility and sterility, looked at women 38 and under who froze their eggs, a procedure sometimes recommended to young women who know they want children later in life, when they may not have as many healthy eggs left. the average age of participants was 38, which the study makes clear is older than the “optimal” age to freeze eggs (under 35).

they found that 39 per cent of women between the ages of 27 and 44 went on to later have at least one baby from their frozen eggs. birth rates were highest in women who thawed more than 20 mature eggs: of that group, 58 per cent had a baby. this finding is “profound and unexpected,” the study authors said, “as this group included people past their reproductive prime.”

this is significantly higher than women of the same age who use ivf to get pregnant: fewer than 20 per cent of 40-year-olds who do ivf have babies that way.

ivf and egg freezing both involve retrieval of eggs, but in ivf, eggs are then fertilized with sperm in a lab, and the resulting embryos are implanted into the uterus. people may choose to freeze their eggs rather than freeze embryos if they don’t have a partner or sperm donor, or if they have religious or social misgivings about freezing embryos.

testing eggs before they’re implanted to rule out the ones that are less viable is an important part of the process, one of the study’s lead authors concluded.

“our findings shed light on the factors that track with successful births from egg freezing, which include careful screening of embryos to be thawed and implanted,” says study lead author dr. sarah druckenmiller cascante told the university’s media outlet. “a better understanding of the live birth rate from egg freezing for age-related fertility decline is necessary to inform patient decision-making.”

many previous studies of egg freezing have been based on mathematical modelling — this is one of the first to use real clinical data, she added.

the study is a small one, the researchers conceded, and more data will be necessary to form definite conclusions.

the rise of egg freezing

egg freezing has quickly risen in popularity over the last decade: 475 american women froze eggs in 2009, according to the society for assisted reproductive technology, but in 2016, that number rose to 7,276. it can be an efficient solution for some people, particularly for people with medical conditions that may effect their fertility — sickle cell anemia and lupus, for instance, or those who have received radiation therapy or some cancer treatments. additionally, some transgender men or non-binary people with ovaries may want to freeze their eggs before they start taking testosterone.

the procedure is an expensive one, though — the extraction and freezing process can vary, but it’s often in the realm of $10,000, with additional costs for storage. it can also physically and emotionally taxing: patients have to regularly inject hormones to increase fertility, which may cause mood swings, anxiety, depression, nausea, and cramps. regular blood tests and transvaginal ultrasounds are required before the procedure itself, which is a surgical process done under anaesthesia.

maija kappler is a reporter and editor at healthing. you can reach her at mkappler@postmedia.com