For Women Who Have Delayed Child Birth, Does Hope Hatch in Egg Freezing?

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 10 Feb 2005 - 9:00 PDT

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Although many of today's women are putting marriage and pregnancy on hold for their careers, their "biological clocks" can't afford to take a pregnant pause. According to recent statistics, 20 percent of American women postpone pregnancy until after their 35th birthday, when the most significant decline in fertility occurs. By 40, a woman's chance of having a baby plunges from about 30 percent to 10 percent, and by 42 to a scary 5 percent. In the past, career-minded women, who chose to delay pregnancy to their less fertile years, could adopt a child, enlist an egg donor, or simply keep their fingers crossed and keep on trying.

Now there's another option available to women: They can extend their fertility by freezing their eggs for later use. According to Dr. Fady Sharara, board certified reproductive endocrinologist and Medical Director of the Virginia Center for Reproductive Medicine, the ideal candidate for this procedure is 35 years of age or under, as a woman's fertility peaks around 27. The procedure starts with self-administered hormone injections for a 10-day period. These injections increase egg production and can cause the body to produce up to up to 20 that month. Cramping and bloating are mild side effects that can be experienced. Next, through a quick non-invasive procedure, the eggs are extracted with a special needle and submerged into a tank of liquid nitrogen, bar coded with a client-specific number. When the woman is ready to become pregnant, her eggs are thawed, fertilized and implanted into her womb.

But, the procedure is not foolproof! The drugs can have side effects that interfere with their functioning; they can cause estrogen levels to skyrocket, leaving the patient to try again. There can also be technical difficulties. According to Dr. Sharara, "The eggs are very susceptible to freezer burn during this procedure because the human egg is large and watery." Then there's the supply problem. Unlike sperm, which comes in millions, there is no room for error with a woman's eggs. "The procedure does not come with a guarantee," explains Dr. Sharara. "It's a new technology and is still in the experimental stages."

Since the first frozen-egg baby in 1985, only about 150 more have been born worldwide. Although this technology is improving, it still remains unreliable, and most of the clinics offering it have not had much experience, let alone actually produced a frozen-egg baby. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine believes that this procedure should only be provided under research protocol, and under strict supervision. And, is should only be available to women who have no other hope of having their own genetic children. For example, women who have become infertile due to cancer treatments should be presented with this opportunity, but not women who simply want "to defer reproductive aging." Dr Sharara has been offering egg freezing for 3 years in his clinic.

Although many doctors are confident in the future of egg freezing, "there just isn't enough data to rule out genetic risks even though the preliminary data are very encouraging," states Dr. Sharara. So, does this mean women can wait to conceive children with "Mr. Right," or should they settle for "Mr. Right Now"?

Dr. Sharara can be contacted directly at 703-437-7722, or you can visit his website at http://www.vcrmed.com.

__________________________ Marcela Bequillard
Account Executive
KMR Communications, Inc.
P: 212-213-6444
F: 212-213-4699
Marcela@kmrcommunications.com

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