environmental factors and constitution. “Lifestyle is the number one factor affecting declining fertility, and general health, in men and women today”, he says. “Long working hours under stressful conditions, poor diets, excess consumption of alcohol or recreational drugs and putting your professional life ahead of starting a family especially for women has had a huge impact on natural pregnancy rates and could potentially lead to an infertility epidemic in western Europe and North America.
Options available for fertility treatments IVF IVF is the process of fertilising a woman’s egg with the chosen sperm in a petri dish (in vitro) and implanting it into the womb. This option is viable for all women, regardless of the condition of their fallopian tubes or the quality of the sperm. IVF can be a very expensive option for having a family, with the average cost of a cycle in Ireland reaching €5,000. With many couples requiring four treatments to successfully conceive, that can mean a cost of up to €20,000 per couple. And there is still no guarantee of a successful pregnancy. Almost 2% of babies in the western world today are conceived through IVF and Dr Mary Wingfield, Clinical Director of the Merrion Fertility Clinic in Dublin, predicts an increase of IVF in Ireland of at least 23% over the next decade.
DONOR EGGS As the quality of a woman’s eggs also decreases along with her age, IVF attempts may not be successful for older women. There is then the option of using a donor egg, where an egg from another woman (a donor), is fertilised with the recipient partners sperm in vitro, and then transferred into the uterus of the recipient. This gives a woman the option of carrying a baby and giving birth although the baby will not be genetically linked to that woman. This option can cost up to €10,000 per treatment in Ireland.
SURROGACY Surrogacy is the practice whereby one woman carries a baby for another couple or person. There are two options available: Firstly, the surrogate mother may be the biological mother of the embryo as
her egg is used (known as traditional surrogacy), or the surrogate mother may only carry the embryo of another couple (known as gestational surrogacy). While surrogacy is commonly practised in other countries, in particular India, Ukraine and the United States, it is not currently catered for in Irish law and so can be fraught with difficulties for the many infertile Irish couples who are now turning to this option.
CHANCE OF CONCEPTION MONTHLY BY WOMAN’S AGE AGE
%
25
25%
30
20%
35
16%
37
11%
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
40
06%
42
04%
For those for whom modern medicine is not an option, or who wish to explore different approaches such as a change in diet, acupuncture or yoga. According to Ian Claxton of the ‘Elmtree Clinic’, “sometimes, regulation of your hormones through avoiding dairy can help you conceive and save you thousands.”
44
02%
45+
<2%
Acupuncture in particular has gained in popularity in Ireland in recent years. This method helps women to conceive through stress reduction and the regulation of the menstrual and ovulation phases of a woman’s cycle. The fact that so many women are continuing to conceive through to their mid-forties in Ireland is a positive reflection of our lifestyle choices and testament to the high standard of living we have here. Whilst natural conception may become more difficult with age, it is possible to conceive naturally and have a healthy pregnancy, providing you are still ovulating and lead an active and balanced lifestyle. Help is available for anyone who does need assistance in trying to have a baby, and your GP will be able to provide further information where necessary.
Useful Websites Irish Fertility Society www.irishfertilitysociety.com National Infertility Support and Information Group www.nisig.ie Merrion Fertility Clinic www.merrionfertility.ie Galway Fertility Unit www.galwayfertilityunit.ie Cork Fertility Centre www.corkfertilitycentre.com The Adoption Authority of Ireland www.aai.gov.ie
NUMBER OF BIRTHS BY MOTHER’S AGE IN QUARTER 1 OF 2006 V QUARTER 1 OF 2011 Age
No. in Q1 2006
No. in Q1 2011
< 20
649
498
20 - 24
2,186
2,046
25 – 29
3,600
4,490
30 – 34
5,444
7,108
35 – 39
3,331
4,770
40 – 44
646
971
45 +
22
62
APPROXIMATE RISK OF MISCARRIAGE BY AGE Age
%
25 – 34
10%
35 – 39
20%
40 – 44
35%
45+
50%
AVERAGE IVF SUCCESS RATES BY AGE Age
Chance of Success
>35
30%
35-37
24%
38-39
18%
40-42
10%
43-44
03%
<45
01%
27