IVF TREATMENT – 11 CRITICAL FACTORS FOR SUCCESS

By Ashi Jain

Nowadays, family planning is strenuous as both husband and wife are career-oriented and may have a tiresome job. After marriage, when the couple plans for their child, it results in a long struggle. Due to disappointment and family pressure; the couple tends to take the steps which may complete their dream sooner. Most couple finds it difficult to cope with the issues of infertility which is a growing problem in today’s life. IVF treatment is one of the best treatments which deal with the difficulties of infertility.

WHAT IS IVF TREATMENT?

IVF stands for In Vitro Fertilization. It deals with the difficulties of infertility that cause major hindrances for women to get pregnant. In this process, the mature eggs are removed from the uterus of the woman, and sperm are fertilized in the lab. Then the fertilized egg is directly placed in the uterus of the woman.

It is a very effective method to cure blockage in the fallopian tubes when surgery remains ineffective. It increases the chances of pregnancy in the woman who is struggling with the issues of infertility. The entire cycle takes place within 3 weeks which helps women to get pregnant again. The procedure can be done with their eggs or partner’s sperm or it may use the eggs, sperm, and embryos of an anonymous donor.

FACTORS LEADING TO THE SUCCESS OF IVF TREATMENT

The women before considering the procedure of IVF must keep certain success factors in her mind:

1. AGE

Young women between the age of 24 and 34 have higher chances of successful pregnancy as the women of this age group are most fertile whereas, the older women usually have fewer eggs of lower quality. The success rate of IVF drops with your age. For instance, younger women have a 40% success rate while older women have a 4% success rate.

2. PREVIOUS PREGNANCY

IVF also depends upon past pregnancy. If the couple’s previous pregnancy is successful, then there are chances of having a successful pregnancy through IVF. However, multiple miscarriages and fertility issues make the process difficult for women.

3. TYPES OF FERTILITY PROBLEMS

The fertility issues like dual ovaries, uterine abnormalities, and fibroid tumors increase the difficulties for women to conceive again.

4. DONOR EGGS

Using Donor Eggs whose quality of eggs is good increases the positive results for younger women.

5. SPERM QUALITY

If the quality of male sperm is low, it decreases the chances of a good pregnancy. Fertility specialists are trying to find a solution to this problem.

6. EGG AND EMBRYO QUALITY

The quality of eggs and embryos depends upon certain factors such as sperm quality, ovarian reserve, and stimulation protocol. The higher the quality of eggs, the more the chances of pregnancy.

7. LIFESTYLE

A woman who has the habit of smoking and drinking alcohol has to stop smoking and drinking for 3 months before taking the procedure of IVF. It is believed that woman who has smoking experience has more failed fertilization cycles and are unable to conceive. Overweight women have fewer chances of having a baby and an increased risk of miscarriages. Women need to control their weight and give more focus on their diet. Regular mensuration cycles are important for successful fertilization as irregular mensuration makes it difficult for women to conceive.

8. FERTILITY CLINIC

Choose your fertility clinic wisely while keeping below points in mind:

• The experience and training of staff.
• The number of patients pregnant with multiples.
• The live birth rate produces by IVF cycles.

9. UTERINE RECEPTIVITY

The embryo quality depends upon certain factors like the thickness of the uterine lining, the uterine cavity’s contour, and other immunological factors that are required for healthy embryos.

10. CONTROLLED OVARIAN HYPERSTIMULATION PROTOCOL

A number of COH protocols exist in IVF, which may result in favorable chances of pregnancy for a woman.

11. EMBRYO TRANSFER

It is the most critical step in the process of IVF. A healthy embryo and successful implantation lead to a happy and healthy pregnancy.

IVF SUCCESS RATE

As mentioned above, these are some of the factors that result in a successful pregnancy. The following chart shows the possibility of pregnancy through IVF procedures:

Female Age	Live Birth Rate
24 – 34	40%
> 34	4%

As per research, younger women have more chances of successful pregnancy and older women have fewer chances of pregnancy. The research also states successful chances of having a baby through donor eggs is 50.7% The body mass index in older women is 30% as compared to the younger women. An endometrial thickness of less than 7mm decreases the chances for a woman to become a mother. The laparoscopic surgery before the IVF process produces positive results.

Women should adopt stress-relieving techniques like listening to music, and mind-body programs that help women to cope with the stress of infertility. The deficiency in Vitamin D also leads to infertility and the worst IVF outcomes. However, miscarriages and hypertension problems decrease the chances of having a baby.

It is said that regular smoking reduces the chances of IVF by 50% as compared to non-smokers and also, increases the risk of miscarriage by 30%. Women should avoid smoking and drinking alcohol before taking the procedure of IVF and intake a healthy diet.

Women with specific ovary genotypes have fewer chances of pregnancy through IVF procedures. The level of progesterone is associated with lower pregnancy rates in IVF cycles. The level of progesterone ranges from 0.8 to 1.1ng/ml resulting in a pregnancy ratio of 0.8 and the level of 1.2 and 3.0 ng/ml results in a ratio of 0.6 and 0.7.

IVF OUTCOMES

The researcher’s investigation shows that the US adopted the treatment of IVF due to which the live birth rates are steady till the year 2002 but after 2002 there is a huge decline in the birth rate between the years 2003 and 2007. However, there is an increase in the birth rate again between the years 2008 and 2010 but after that, there is a consecutively decrease in the birth rate. The pattern of incline and decline in the birth rate is seen in the regions of Canada, Australia, Japan, Latin America, and New Zealand.

The women before undergoing the treatment of IVF should consider the side effects of treatment such as bloating, headaches, allergic reactions from medicine, bleeding, mood swings, etc. Constant talk with fertility specialists will help the couple to know the pros and cons of the treatment.

Nevertheless, some women are still not able to conceive even after undertaking IVF procedures because of the following reasons:

• Follicles are not produced enough for the retrieval of eggs.
• The eggs are not fertilized properly.
• The qualities of eggs are not good enough for fertilization.
• Embryo Transfer is not successful; hence embryo is not placed correctly in the uterus of the woman.
• Inadequate Ovarian Stimulation is another factor due to which the IVF process fails.
• The cells of cumulus oophorus and membrane granulose also affect pregnancy rates.

IVF POST-TRANSFER INSTRUCTION

The women must follow the instructions after the IVF process to ensure a healthy and happy pregnancy. The men are expected to keep certain things in mind to support the IVF cycle of their partner:

• The men should not drink alcohol or smoke as that may reduce the success of the cycle.
• The men should avoid toxins and chemicals that reduce the quality of sperm in their bodies.
• The men should undertake proper exercise and diet to improve the quality of sperm.
• The men should be supportive of their partner during the IVF treatment.

IVF COST IN INDIA

The cost of In VitroFfertilization [IVF] in India varies from person to person. It fully depends upon the person’s infertility workup, the women’s age, medical history, and the number of IVF cycles. The average cost of IVF in India ranges from Rs. 1 to 3 lakhs ($1,400 to $4,000) for each cycle which is quite less than what is charged in western countries. However, if the IVF process takes place by using one’s egg and sperm, the treatment may cost around Rs. 90,000 to 1,50,000 ($1,200 to $2,000). The IVF includes the cost of several procedures in it like OCR, AZH, IUI, etc.

India is considered to be an affordable place for infertility treatment which is also known as a test-tube baby treatment due to its increased influx of people coming from abroad. India is considered the best destination for IVF treatment because of subsequent reasons:

• Availability of Advanced technology that costs very high in the US and UK.
• Low-cost treatment with high standards of cleanliness, temperature, and air purity.
• Modern techniques and procedures used for infertility treatment.
• Experienced IVF specialists who are skilled and qualified in their profession.
• A team of educated and qualified employees to have healthy communication with international patients.

Talk with the most effective team of fertility experts for all pregnancy and infertility-related issues and visit the best centers to possess healthy and happy maternity.