In the last years science has managed to elongate the deadline fo a woman to have children, and this advance has permitted some of them to prioritize their carreers, postponing maternity. However, this picture is beginning to worry the medical class. According to Dr. Roger Abdelmassih, specialist in human reproduction, women may feel excesively confident in their reproductive capacity, because of lack of information, and may “wake up” too late to maternity.

Dr. Abdelmassih affirms that the most favorable period for a woman to get pregnant is until the age of 30. At this phase, the normal chances of a couple to conceive a baby is 20% per month. As the woman’s age advances, procreation probabilities lower, including for in vitro fertilization. At 35 the chances for a well succeeded IVF is 50 to 55% by attempt; they diminish to 33% between 36 and 40 and 25% from 40 onwards. At this age the chances are around 8%.

“This happens because the egg efficiency diminishes. They are present in the ovary since birth, in a state similar to hybernation, and can also grow old. From 30 years of age onwards, chromosomal alterations begin to happen, and this reduces fertilization capacity”, explains the doctor.

Just to have an idea, at 25 only 15% of eggs present any chromosomal alteration. At 40, on the other hand, this index grows to 78%.

In the States, this situation recently took the American Society for Reproductive Medicine to establish a campaign stimulating pregnancy until the woman is 35, using the motto “Protect your Fertility”, the entity places infertility as an illnes that should be prevented.