1. Ovulation & Fertility Slideshow Pictures
2. Early Pregnancy Symptoms Quiz
3. Stages of Pregnancy Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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The live birth rate for one cycle varies by maternal age: 30% to 35% among women younger than 35 years of age and 25% for those aged 35 to 37 years. The success rate ranges from 6%-10% in those older than 40 years of age. Pregnancy in women older than 44 years of age is rare.

When reviewing statistics for IVF programs, it is important to understand what is actually being reported. A pregnancy rate may include so-called chemical pregnancies, in which the pregnancy test is positive but the pregnancy ends before a viable fetus can be demonstrated by ultrasound. Pregnancy rate is also different from the live birth rate, since it includes all pregnancies that may or may not lead to a live birth. Even live birth rates may vary among different clinics because of selection criteria for patients and the number of embryos typically transferred.

The rate of miscarriages with IVF pregnancies is the same as that with normally conceived pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancy occurs in about 3% to 5% of cases. An ectopic pregnancy is a serious condition that requires emergency medical care. The embryo is growing outside the uterus and does not survive.

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