Poor oocyte quality

Egg quality indicates how prepared a woman's eggs are to develop into healthy embryos once fertilised. A poor quality egg can disrupt the reproductive process and make the difference between carrying a pregnancy to term or not.

Similarly, poor quality eggs can lead to chromosomally abnormal pregnancies and increase the risk of genetic disorders in the baby.

Causes of poor oocyte quality

From the age of 35 onwards, the number of eggs in a woman's ovaries and their quality, begins to decrease significantly. By the time a woman reaches the age of 40, the number of poor quality eggs tends to outnumber the healthy ones, so her chances of getting pregnant decrease significantly.

Age is the most influential factor, however, some younger women may also have poor egg quality as a result of:

Genetic problems

Immunological problems

Cancer treatments

Smoking

Endometriosis

Obesity

Polycystic ovary syndrome

Symptoms of poor oocyte quality

Galactorrhoea (milk production outside the lactation period).

Cephalea (headaches).

Visual disorders.

Decreased libido.

Excessive hair growth.

Diagnosis of poor oocyte quality

The most reliable tests for diagnosing ovulation problems are:

- A blood test to measure the concentration of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), produced by the egg-containing structures (follicles)

- Ultrasound with an ultrasound device inserted into the vagina (transvaginal ultrasound) to see and count the number of follicles.

Can I have a baby if I have poor oocyte quality?

There is no treatment to improve oocyte quality, however, techniques such as In Vitro fertilization allow the extraction of several eggs in the hope that some of them will be of good quality.

In the event that a woman does not have viable eggs after IVF treatment, she can resort to egg donation, guaranteeing a 90% success rate for having her baby at home.

Find out about the programs and treatments we have for you and take the first step on the road to your baby.