Recently, a Danish study provided new data that indicates the improved efficiency and success rate of fertility treatment. The research found that three in four women who start fertility treatment will go on to have a baby within five years after, either as a result of treatment or after conceiving spontaneously.
Denmark is one of the only countries in the world that tracks, records, and links all live births and fertility treatments. This, as you can imagine, made conducting the study a no-brainer. Claims like this need substantial data to back up the conclusion, and Denmark's rare records allowed for large-scale data and formidable proof to their assertions.
This groundbreaking study analyzed 19,884 women between 2007 and 2010 as part of the study, with the team carrying out follow-ups for live births at two, three and five years.
The results indicated that after two years 57% of the women birthed a child, 46% of these women conceived by IVF when IVF was the first fertility treatment, and 34% conceived after intrauterine insemination when IUI was the first fertility treatment. A significant portion of the women studied (14%) conceived spontaneously without treatment.
Although the total number of birth rates did increase pretty significantly over the five-year study period -- 65% after three years to 71% after five years -- these rates did not increase for women who had opted for IUI treatment lasting beyond two years, the point when most women had switched to IVF. And although 16.6% of women starting treatments with IUI had had a baby after five years, pregnancy occurred after spontaneous conception not after the IUI treatment.
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As the research time anticipated, age was the greatest factor in determining success, with further research showing that at five years, total birth rates were 80% for women under 35 years, dropping to 60.5% for those aged 35-40, and 26% for those aged 40 and over.
Lead researcher of the study, Dr. Sara Malchau of Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark claims "Infertility patients have two key questions: what are our chances of having a baby, and when will it happen. These results help us provide realistic information based on their age and chance of natural conception."
"Overall, chances of a live birth are good, but successful treatment takes time. Couples will often need several treatment cycles. And even though the greatest chance of conception is following treatment, there is still a reasonable chance of spontaneous conception," she added.
The wide world of medicine has made leaps and bounds, and now data supports the idea that there have been extreme advancements in the realm of fertility. That's beautiful news for wishful parents everywhere!
This article was originally published by Yahoo News
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