Effect of Maternal Aging on Fertility Outcomes in Assisted Reproductive Technology: A Study of Autologous and Donor Oocyte Cycles

Abstract

With increasing numbers of women delaying childbearing, age-related declines in fertility have become a significant concern, often necessitating the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Although ART has enabled many individuals and couples to achieve pregnancy, evidence shows that conceptions through ART carry higher risks of adverse outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the impact of female aging on reproductive outcomes in ART cycles, comparing outcomes between autologous and donor oocytes across different age groups. A retrospective design was employed, using medical records from two fertility clinics in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Data on age, weight, number of oocytes retrieved, embryo quality, and IVF cycle outcomes were analyzed, and the Chi-square test was used to examine associations between variables. Among 120 donor oocyte cycles, the highest positive IVF outcomes were observed in women aged 36–39 years (n = 11, 52.38%), followed by those aged 31–35 years (n = 10, 50%), 40–44 years (n = 11, 31.43%), ≤30 years (n = 9, 39.13%), and ≥45 years (n = 5, 23.81%). In the 120 autologous cycles, success rates declined progressively with age: ≤30 years (n = 15, 55.56%), 31–35 years (n = 10, 42.67%), 36–39 years (n = 6, 25%), 40–44 years (n = 2, 8.33%), and ≥45 years (n = 0, 0%). Chi-square analysis demonstrated a significant association between age and IVF outcome in autologous cycles, whereas no significant association was observed in donor cycles. These findings highlight the influence of maternal age on IVF success when using autologous oocytes and underscore the ability of donor oocytes to mitigate age-related declines in reproductive potential.