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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Fertility Preservation in Patients with Severe Ovarian Dysfunction
Published on: March 25, 2021
[Pregnancy at a later age with the help of oocyte donation]
M Kortman1, G M W R de Wert, B C J M Fauser
1Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, afd. Voortplantingsgeneeskunde en Gynaecologie, Postbus 85.500, 3508 GA Utrecht. m.kortman@umcutrecht.nl
Abstract:
An increasing number of women are delaying childbirth until an age when their fertility has significantly declined. Oocyte donation provides the opportunity for women to successfully conceive regardless of age. In The Netherlands, in 1997 the age limit for oocyte donation treatment was set at 45 years. The most important objections to pregnancy in older women are the medical risks for mother and child, the application of fertility treatments beyond the natural reproductive age and the psychosocial consequences for the child. However, based on international experience and recent data concerning the risks of pregnancy after oocyte donation in older women, it is proposed to increase the maximum age limit for this procedure to 50 years.
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