Researchers Identify Age of Fertility Wall for Women

Women in their late 40s may be hitting a fertility wall that even young donor eggs can't fully knock down, new research suggests. An Italian team tracked 1,774 women undergoing IVF with donor eggs and found that success rates dip notably from age 49. Women aged 35–40 had about a 54% chance of getting pregnant and a 46% live birth rate; for those 49 and older, those figures fell to roughly 43% and 32%, per the BBC. The likelihood of a successful birth over several IVF rounds was also significantly lower for women over 49: 62.5% compared to 80% for those 35–40, per a release. Miscarriage risk doubled in the older group, rising from 24% to 38%.

The researchers say the issue appears to lie less with the eggs and more with age-related changes in the womb lining, which may eventually be treatable. Lead researcher Dr. Beatrice Crestani says the findings challenge the belief that donor eggs fully "reset" fertility, but stresses that "success rates remain meaningful even at advanced ages." Experts say the study, presented Sunday at a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology and published Wednesday in the Human Reproduction journal, should inform counseling for older patients rather than deter them from treatment.