How long can eggs be stored to have children?

I am 32 years old, unmarried, and planning to freeze my eggs for future pregnancies. How long can eggs be frozen, and will they be of good quality for embryo creation after thawing? (Ngoc Linh, Ninh Binh )

Reply:

Social egg (ovum) freezing, when the follicles are of good quality and there are no plans or conditions for having children, is a trend among many modern women.

Besides a decrease in natural fertility, older women have a higher risk of pregnancy complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and miscarriage. The risk of developmental delays in the child also increases. This is because the older the pregnant woman, the higher the chance of chromosomes in the eggs sticking together, leading to conditions such as Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome. Egg freezing is a solution to prevent the effects of age and medical conditions on female fertility.

Before ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval, the doctor examines the woman and orders several necessary tests related to ovarian reserve (AMH) and other reproductive conditions. The eggs are stored in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius, awaiting embryo creation.

Egg storage in liquid nitrogen tanks at -196 degrees Celsius at the Reproductive Support Center, Tam Anh General Hospital. (Illustrative image: Provided by the hospital) — Egg storage in liquid nitrogen tanks at -196 degrees Celsius at the Reproductive Support Center, Tam Anh General Hospital. (Illustrative image: *Provided by the hospital)*

Current vitrification methods allow for rapid freezing without the formation of ice crystals inside the cells, thus protecting the egg cells and resulting in a high survival rate upon thawing.

Eggs can be frozen for extended periods (up to 10 years) without significantly affecting their quality after thawing. If a woman freezes her eggs in her 20s and then becomes pregnant in her 30s, the eggs, thawed after more than a decade, will still be of the same quality as when she was in her 20s. At the Tam Anh General Hospital's Assisted Reproductive Technology Center (IVF Tam Anh), the survival rate of eggs after thawing reaches 95%.

The success rate of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in cases of egg freezing depends on the woman's age at the time of egg freezing and the storage environment.

The younger the woman, the higher the chances of getting pregnant using frozen eggs. Conversely, older women are at increased risk of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and hypertension, posing dangers to both mother and child. Therefore, it is advisable to conceive and give birth within the standard reproductive age (under 35 years old) for optimal health benefits for both mother and child.

Doctor Vu Mai Anh
Center for Reproductive Support, Tam Anh General Hospital , Hanoi

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