What is the upper age limit for ART treatment using your own eggs?

The graph shows the decreasing success rates (live births) with increasing age for in vitro fertilization using embryos derived from a woman's own eggs compared with using eggs from a young donor.Nature 428, 133-134(11 March 2004)

Scientific studies show that after the age of 46, the chance of live birth using a woman’s own eggs is almost zero. Most IVF clinics will not set an upper age limit for treatment. If your ovaries develop follicles in response to ovarian stimulation, they will be happy to treat you. If you are an older woman going in for IVF treatment using your own eggs, you should clearly understand the scientific facts. This will help you to analyze the pros and cons and make a good decision. If you are above 40 and would like to try with your own eggs , you have every right to do so provided you are well-informed. The drawbacks of using old eggs are :

• The chance of retrieving a decent amount of good quality eggs from an older ovary is low , as a result of which there is a higher chance of IVF cycle cancellation.
• There is a higher risk for complete fertilization failure – your partner’s sperm might fail to fertilize your eggs because of the changes in your eggs due to old age.
• Even if fertilization occurs and embryos are formed , more of your embryos have a chance of being genetically abnormal. There is a higher risk of miscarriage because of this
• The risk of having a genetically abnormal child ( such as a baby with Down syndrome) is much higher as compared to a younger woman

As you age , your response to ovarian stimulation and likelihood of a live birth decreases. You should understand the above mentioned facts clearly  before going in for treatment with your own eggs !