Older women having fertility treatment may be at risk using large doses of ovary stimulating type drugs. The drugs may be causing chromosome defects in their eggs which could lead to abortive pregnancies and possibly, Down’s Syndrome babies.
When used in IVF, extra eggs are produced by hormonal drugs. Fertilization of some eggs may be successful allowing them to be placed in the womb. A danger of IVF is over stimulation and can make a woman extremely sick.
Women below 35 years of age are treated with a mild stimulant while older women who are producing fewer eggs are given higher doses of hormone drugs. Research papers presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) conference have shown that these eggs have more abnormalities than the eggs of women of the same age group and who have not been treated.
Embryos from these abnormal eggs do not carry through to a good pregnancy and normal birth. Women may miscarry early in their pregnancy or the eggs may not implant in the womb successfully.
According to Stuart Lavery, consultant gynecologist and Hammersmith Hospital IVF clinic director, the presentation shows many of the chromosomal abnormalities are not related to age and it is concerning to note the irregularities may be a result of the treatment. The general answer to poor egg production is to increase the drug dose but research shows this could be a bad thing.
Further research conducted by Professor Alan Handyside and colleagues has found that excessive abnormalities do exist but further study is required to establish causes. Chairman of the British Fertility Society, Tony Rutherford, said the news of the discovery has confirmed what they have suspected for a while, more eggs rather than embryos are produced with large drug doses.
Professor Geraedts, ESHRE task force coordinator, believes that the research being undertaken at present will assist in the identification of women who want to have their own children but see no way of achieving this. They can be given advice on donor eggs and this in itself is a big step forward.
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