News | How Effective Is Egg Freezing? Study Reveals Fertility Outcomes for Women Who Froze Their Eggs
At the 39th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Dr. Ezgi Darici, a clinical researcher at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at Brussels University Hospital in Belgium, presented an important study on the effectiveness of elective egg freezing. The study found that more than 40% of women who froze their eggs in their 30s later had a child after returning to a fertility clinic. However, many women who froze their eggs had not yet returned, and some who did return chose fertility treatments that did not use their frozen eggs.
Study Methods and Data
The study included 843 women who froze their eggs for nonmedical reasons at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at Brussels University Hospital between 2009 and 2019. Their average age was 36, and most did not have a partner when their eggs were frozen. By May 2022, 231 women (27%) had returned to the center for fertility treatment. Their average age upon returning was 40, and most then had a partner.
Of the 231 women who returned, about 48% (110) used their frozen eggs for fertility treatment. Twenty-two percent (50) chose intrauterine insemination, in which sperm is placed directly into the uterus, while 31% (71) underwent treatments such as IVF using fresh eggs. Women who used frozen eggs had an average age of 42, compared with 39 among those who used fresh eggs.
Live Birth and Miscarriage Rates
The cumulative live birth rate, including live births following any fertility treatment, was 46%: 106 of the 231 returning women had a live birth.
Among women treated with frozen eggs, the live birth rate was 41%, compared with 48% among women who used fresh eggs.
The miscarriage rate was 25% among women who used frozen eggs and 29% among those who used fresh eggs.
Study Conclusions and Expert Views
Dr. Darici said: “We found that many women who froze their eggs in their 30s had not yet returned, and about half of those who did return chose to use their frozen eggs for treatment. The decision to use frozen or fresh eggs depended on each woman's circumstances, particularly age. Although the two groups cannot be compared directly, pregnancy and birth outcomes were positive with both types of eggs.”
ESHRE Chair Professor Carlos Calhaz-Jorge of Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte in Portugal said that elective egg freezing is intended to reduce the risk of future fertility decline, but it is costly and there is currently insufficient evidence of its effectiveness. He suggested that further research and routine reporting of fertility outcomes would help inform egg-freezing guidelines for younger women.
Future Outlook
Although this study provides encouraging evidence for egg freezing, the researchers acknowledged that the sample was relatively small and the study was retrospective, based on historical data. More large-scale prospective studies are needed to give women clearer evidence for decision-making.
News | How Effective Is Egg Freezing? Study Reports Fertility Outcomes Among Women Who Froze Their Eggs
News | How Effective Is Egg Freezing? Study Reveals Fertility Outcomes for Women Who Froze Their Eggs
At the 39th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Dr. Ezgi Darici, a clinical researcher at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at Brussels University Hospital in Belgium, presented an important study on the effectiveness of elective egg freezing. The study found that more than 40% of women who froze their eggs in their 30s later had a child after returning to a fertility clinic. However, many women who froze their eggs had not yet returned, and some who did return chose fertility treatments that did not use their frozen eggs.
Study Methods and Data
The study included 843 women who froze their eggs for nonmedical reasons at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at Brussels University Hospital between 2009 and 2019. Their average age was 36, and most did not have a partner when their eggs were frozen. By May 2022, 231 women (27%) had returned to the center for fertility treatment. Their average age upon returning was 40, and most then had a partner.
Of the 231 women who returned, about 48% (110) used their frozen eggs for fertility treatment. Twenty-two percent (50) chose intrauterine insemination, in which sperm is placed directly into the uterus, while 31% (71) underwent treatments such as IVF using fresh eggs. Women who used frozen eggs had an average age of 42, compared with 39 among those who used fresh eggs.
Live Birth and Miscarriage Rates
The cumulative live birth rate, including live births following any fertility treatment, was 46%: 106 of the 231 returning women had a live birth.
Among women treated with frozen eggs, the live birth rate was 41%, compared with 48% among women who used fresh eggs.
The miscarriage rate was 25% among women who used frozen eggs and 29% among those who used fresh eggs.
Study Conclusions and Expert Views
Dr. Darici said: “We found that many women who froze their eggs in their 30s had not yet returned, and about half of those who did return chose to use their frozen eggs for treatment. The decision to use frozen or fresh eggs depended on each woman's circumstances, particularly age. Although the two groups cannot be compared directly, pregnancy and birth outcomes were positive with both types of eggs.”
ESHRE Chair Professor Carlos Calhaz-Jorge of Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte in Portugal said that elective egg freezing is intended to reduce the risk of future fertility decline, but it is costly and there is currently insufficient evidence of its effectiveness. He suggested that further research and routine reporting of fertility outcomes would help inform egg-freezing guidelines for younger women.
Future Outlook
Although this study provides encouraging evidence for egg freezing, the researchers acknowledged that the sample was relatively small and the study was retrospective, based on historical data. More large-scale prospective studies are needed to give women clearer evidence for decision-making.
Source:
Collected online