Egg quality is a one of the main factors in achieving pregnancy, either naturally or through the help of reproductive medicine.
Today, we would like to talk to you about the main causes of poor egg quality and the possible solutions, that thanks to research, exist today.
What are some of the causes of poor egg quality?
There are some known factors that can affect egg quality.
Among all factors, maternal age is one of the leading causes of poor egg quality. Women are born with all of the eggs that they will ever have. As the years pass by, ovarian reserve decreases, and there is a decline in both the quantity and quality of eggs.
Starting at age 35, this decrease becomes more noticeable, and by age of 40 becomes significantly more evident. This in turn, makes conception increasingly difficult, leading many couples down the path to assisted reproduction treatments in order to achieve pregnancy.
Another factor to consider relates to alterations in hormone production that directly affect the fertility of a woman. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a common hormonal disorder affecting 1 in 10 women of reproductive age and may affect the quality of eggs.
Lastly, some diseases have been linked to poor egg quality. Endometriosis is a condition in which endometrial tissue (the tissue that lines the uterus), grows on other organs, such as the ovaries. Several studies have demonstrated a relationship between endometriosis and egg quality.
How can I overcome poor egg quality?
First, it is important that your physician performs a reproductive health workup. This will allow for the detection of any infertility factors in order to determine the best plan of treatment.
Some frequent treatments include:
Treatment for endometriosis
Once the problem is diagnosed, doctors typically opt for conservative pain reliever treatments (if it occurs) and hormone therapy to slow the growth and formation of endometrial tissue.
Ovarian stimulation
Hormonal medication is taken to stimulate the ovaries to produce a larger number of eggs, increasing the likelihood of finding eggs of good quality for fertilization. Techniques such as Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidies (PGT-A) can be added to these cycles, which analyze resulting embryos to identify those that are chromosomally normal. Transferring a chromosomally normal embryo can help improve the chances of a healthy ongoing pregnancy and baby.
