How long can eggs be stored to have children?

I am 32 years old, not married, planning to freeze eggs to have children later. How long can eggs be stored, and after thawing, will the quality be good enough to create embryos? (Ngoc Linh, Ninh Binh )

Reply:

Social egg storage while the follicles are still of good quality, without plans or conditions to have children, is the trend of many modern women.

In addition to the reduced ability to conceive naturally, the older a woman is, the higher the risk of complications during pregnancy such as diabetes, high blood pressure; miscarriage. The risk of the child having slow neuromotor development also increases. Because the older the pregnant woman is, the higher the possibility of the chromosomes in the egg sticking together, leading to diseases such as Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome... Egg freezing is a solution to prevent the effects of age and disease that affect the fertility of women.

Before a woman undergoes ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval, the doctor will examine her and order some necessary tests related to ovarian reserve index (AMH) and other reproductive conditions. The eggs are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks at minus 196 degrees Celsius, waiting for the day of embryo creation.

Eggs are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks at minus 196 degrees at the Reproductive Support Center, Tam Anh General Hospital. Illustration photo: Provided by the hospital — Eggs are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks at minus 196 degrees at the Reproductive Support Center, Tam Anh General Hospital. Illustration photo: *Provided by the hospital*

The current vitrification method allows rapid freezing without the formation of ice crystals inside the cells, so the egg cells are safely protected, with a high survival rate when thawed.

Eggs can be frozen for a long time (up to 10 years), without much impact on the quality after thawing. If a woman freezes her eggs in her 20s, then gets pregnant after 30, the eggs are thawed after more than ten years, the quality is still as good as when they were 20. At the Center for Reproductive Support, Tam Anh General Hospital (IVF Tam Anh), the rate of eggs surviving after thawing is up to 95%.

The success rate of IVF in egg freezing cases depends on the age of the woman at the time of egg freezing and the storage environment.

The younger you are, the higher the chance of getting pregnant with frozen eggs. On the contrary, if the pregnant woman is too old, the risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and high blood pressure can occur, which is dangerous for both mother and child. Therefore, you should note that the time of pregnancy and childbirth within the standard childbearing age (under 35 years old) is best for mother and child.

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

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