Women are born with a finite number of eggs, which cannot be regenerated or modified. As a result, the number and quality of eggs decrease over the course a woman's lifetime, impacting natural fertility and odds of successful fertility treatment.
Treatment for Low Egg Count
There is currently no known fertility treatment for a low egg count. There's no known way to make anyone create new eggs. However, you still have numerous options for conceiving even with a diminished ovarian reserve.
Taking fertility supplements, eating a healthy diet, incorporating yoga into your daily routine, and managing your stress levels will improve all of the bodily processes that support fertility and quality egg development.
No treatment can stop the process of diminished ovarian reserve, but women who are infertile due to low egg count or quality can sometimes use assisted reproductive technologies to achieve a pregnancy.
Other than age, causes such as endometriosis, ovarian cysts, some immunological disorders, obesity, chemotherapy, drug use, smoking, alcohol and caffeine consumption may also lead to decreased egg quality.
Aging is one of the biggest causes of low ovarian reserve; however, sometimes, there is no cause. Other times, genetics or medical treatments cause diminished ovarian reserve. These include: Genetic disorders that affect the X chromosome.
Premature low egg count and poor ovarian response (POR) indicates a reduction in the quantity or number of oocytes and is a cause of infertility. Frequently this is due to hormonal imbalances such as high Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and low Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH).
By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline becomes more rapid once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely for most women. How does age affect a woman's eggs?
Once she starts her periods, 1 egg develops and is released during each menstrual cycle. Pregnancy happens if a man's sperm meet and fertilise the egg. Sperm can survive in the fallopian tubes for up to 7 days after sex. Occasionally, more than 1 egg is released during ovulation.
ACOG states that a female's fertility gradually and significantly drops around age 32. They will have around 120,000 eggs, with a 20% chance of conceiving per cycle. ACOG further states that a female will experience a rapid decline by age 37, when egg count drops to around 25,000.
Folic acid supplementation has been shown to improve the environment for the developing egg and is associated with improved chances of pregnancy and reduced risk of ovulatory infertility.
The increased level of stress hormone such as cortisol reduces estradiol production possibly by affecting the granulosa cell functions within the follicle, which results deterioration in oocyte quality.
As a rule of thumb, however, having about ten to 12 mature eggs after egg retrieval (not all eggs retrieved will be developed or mature enough to fertilize) is a good number of eggs and will give a woman a good chance of having at least one normal embryo, which gives a woman a 65 percent chance of pregnancy.
By measuring AMH levels in the blood, we can gauge how many eggs remain in your ovaries – high AMH levels are a strong indicator of a high number of eggs. The second test we use is called an 'antral follicle count'.
A number of lifestyle factors affect fertility in women, in men, or in both. These include but are not limited to nutrition, weight, and exercise; physical and psychological stress; environmental and occupational exposures; substance and drug use and abuse; and medications.
A total count of at least 8 follicles (follicles=fluid filled spaces that each contain a single egg) is considered synonymous with having 'normal' ovarian reserve.
Women in their early thirties are generally better off than women in their late thirties as ovarian reserve declines sharply in the late thirties. For example, a woman at 30 often has around 100,000-150,000 eggs in reserve. By 35, that number is likely around 80,000.
When the woman is over 37 years old, reduced egg quality is often a contributing factor, when it is difficult to become pregnant. Therefore, it is likely that for some couples infertility is solely due to the quality of the woman's egg.