How Important Is The Age of an Egg Donor?

Egg donor recipients faced with choosing a suitable egg donor  base their decision on many factors including race, ethnicity, education, interests, height, weight, interests, and written statements provided by prospective egg donors.  However, because of the expense and complexity of assisted reproduction using donor eggs, recipients have a vested interest in maximizing prospects for success and need information to assist them in this process.  Factors such as the donor’s age, weight, prior egg donation results, obstetrical history, and ovarian reserve indicators are all important factors for recipients to take into consideration when selecting a donor.  A recent Canadian study looked at donor age and pregnancy rates in recipients.  The study grouped egg donors into three groups by age.  The donor egg cycles being reviewed were divided into 3 groups by donor age: 18-27 (Group 1), 28-34 (Group 2), 35-41 (Group 3).  The study examined clinical pregnancy rates, implantation rates , and ongoing pregnancy rates in the 3 age groups and found that the best implantation rates were achieved in the youngest patients (Group 1). Although the results did not reach statistical significance for the pregnancy and ongoing pregnancy rates, there was clearly a trend toward improved rates among the younger egg donors.  The implantation rates for each of the three groups were:

                                    Group 1 (18-27 years old) – 49.4%

                                    Group 2 (28-34 years old) – 41.3%

                                    Group 3 (35-41 years old) – 23.3%

This study adds important information that egg donor recipients may use to help predict outcomes when selecting an egg donor.  Egg donor recipients should be counseled that the prospects for implantation are better when the donor is 18-27 years of age, compared with older donors.  This information is consistent with our understanding that diminished pregnancy rates are associated with advancing  maternal age.