Abstract
Objective
Options
Outcomes
Evidence
Values
Sponsor
Recommendations
- 1.Women who delay child-bearing are at increased risk of infertility . Prospective parents, especially women, should know that their fecundity and fertility begin to decline significantly after 32 years of age . Prospective parents should know that assisted reproductive technologies cannot guarantee a live birth or completely compensate for age-related decline in fertility (II-2A).
- 2.A fertility evaluation should be initiated after 6 months of unprotected intercourse without conception in women 35 to 37 years of age, and earlier in women > 37 years of age (II-2A).
- 3.Prospective parents should be informed that semen quality and male fertility deteriorate with advancing age and that the risk of genetic disorders in offspring increases (II-2A).
- 4.Women ≥ 35 years of age should be offered screening for fetal aneuploidy and undergo a detailed second trimester ultrasound examination to look for significant fetal birth defects (particularly cardiac defects) (II-1A).
- 5.Delayed child-bearing is associated with increased obstetrical and perinatal complications . Care providers need to be aware of these complications and adjust obstetrical management protocols to ensure optimal maternal and perinatal outcomes (II-2A).
- 6.All adults of reproductive age should be aware of the obstetrical and perinatal risks of advanced maternal age so they can make informed decisions about the timing of child-bearing (II-2A).
- 7.Strategies to improve informed decision-making by prospective parents should be designed, implemented, and evaluated . These strategies should provide opportunity for adults to understand the potential medical, social, and economic consequences of child- bearing throughout the reproductive years (III-B).
- 8.Barriers to healthy reproduction, including workplace policies, should be reviewed to optimize the likelihood of healthy pregnancies (III-C).
Key Words
Abbreviations:
ART (assisted reproductive technology), OR (odds ratio), ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), IUI (intrauterine insemination), LBW (low birth weight), PTD (preterm delivery), SGA (small for gestational age)Purchase one-time access:
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Footnotes
This document reflects emerging clinical and scientific advances on the date issued, and is subject to change. The information should not be construed as dictating an exclusive course of treatment or procedure to be followed. Local institutions can dictate amendments to these opinions. They should be well-documented if modified at the local level. None of these contents may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the publisher.
Women have the right and responsibility to make informed decisions about their care in partnership with their health care providers. In order to facilitate informed choice women should be provided with information and support that is evidence based, culturally appropriate and tailored to their needs. The values, beliefs and individual needs of each woman and her family should be sought and the final decision about the care and treatment options chosen by the woman should be respected.