This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
According to experts, the optimal fertility window for both women and men is narrow and shrinks exponentially with advancing age.
As a result, pregnancies are best planned when fertility rates are highest, couples are in optimal health, and when chances of delivering a healthy baby are highest.
Published on May 12, 2020, research suggests that the optimal age bracket for the best fertility outcomes spans from the mid-20s to the mid-30s.
At this age, women have a higher number of available eggs, making the chances of conception much higher, and the quality of the eggs is better, translating into less risk of miscarriages and birth defects.
Additionally, this is a period of good general health, and once pregnancy occurs, it is more likely to be uncomplicated.
However, after the age of 35, chances of conception start to decline steeply, and by the age of 40, the chances of conception and live birth have declined by about 50 per cent compared to 30 years of age.
While careers and other priorities may not always conform to biological clocks, couples can consider fertility preservation options, such as freezing eggs or sperms for future use, or fertilizing eggs with sperms and freezing them as embryos.
