In theory, the poor quality embryo has potential for a successful pregnancy. On the other hand, the poor quality embryo may lead to higher spontaneous abortions and overall decreased clinical pregnancies and live birth rates.
Embryo quality is not related with the baby's health, but it gives us an idea of the ability of that embryo to implant and lead to a pregnancy. The so-called “embryo quality” in an IVF cycle is a morphological evaluation of the embryos at a specific time, over several days of observation under the microscope.
Understanding embryo transfer success rates
Higher quality embryos are associated with a 79% live birth rate with good quality at 64%. Poor quality embryos, however, are associated with a low birth rate of 28%.
There are many possible causes including an inappropriate stimulation protocol and its execution, adverse conditions in the embryology laboratory, a cycle-specific suboptimal response, a genetic abnormality in the gametes of either the male or female partner, or a genetic abnormality in the embryo.
Poor Quality Eggs & Poor Quality Embryos
An IVF cycle can be unsuccessful even with good numbers of eggs (and embryos) if egg quality is poor. Egg quality reflects about 95% of the final quality of an embryo. Poor egg quality, therefore, always leads to poor embryo quality.
Taking fertility supplements, eating a healthy diet, incorporating yoga into your daily routine, and managing your stress levels will improve all of the bodily processes that support fertility and quality egg development.
Fertility and egg quality are directly connected.
If it's normal, great—you have a healthy pregnancy. But if it's not? Abnormal egg cells typically don't fertilize or implant in the uterus, but in the rare case they do, they can result in miscarriage or genetic disorders like Down syndrome.
If a poor-quality egg is fertilized, either the embryo is unable to implant, or the embryo initially implants, but is unable to develop properly, resulting in a subsequent miscarriage.
Oxygen-rich blood flow to the ovaries is essential for the health of the eggs. Blood flow can be improved by making sure that you stay hydrated with at least 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day. Exercise also increases blood flow, as a healthy heart will help to provide optimal circulation everywhere in your body.
In simpler terms, CoQ10 can help support egg quality as you age. But CoQ10 hasn't just been shown to help older women. CoQ10 has also been shown to improve egg and embryo quality and improve pregnancy rates in younger women as well.
There are many reasons why an IVF cycle may fail, but the main factor behind failure is endometrial receptivity. The endometrium, or membrane lining the uterus, plays a key role during the implantation window. In other cases, the uterine lining isn't receptive to the embryo.
Baby at home rate was 27.3%. Similar studies showed 6.6% blastocysts developed from poor quality embryos, with 40.9% implantation rate (Ren et al., 2012). Balaban concluded a high pregnancy rate by transferring blastocysts developed from poor quality embryos (Balaban et al., 2001).
Grade 1 and Grade 2 embryos are considered to be the best and are chosen for embryo transfer. Grade 3 Embryos that have very few cells and heavy fragmentation are considered to be of poor quality.
The risks of heart defects, musculoskeletal and central nervous system malformations, preterm birth, and low birth weight are increased in children conceived by vitro fertilization (IVF).
Poor quality cleavage stage embryos have high fragmentation, poor symmetry or low cell number, while grade C blastocysts (poor quality) have few cells that are loosely packed for the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm.
The vast majority of babies born as a result of IVF are healthy and have no short or long-term problems. It is important to know that birth outcomes are more favourable for single babies than for twins and triplets.
Irregular period cycle and difficulty conceiving
If you are facing issues conceiving and have not been able to conceive for a while now, it could be one of the signs of bad egg quality.
Although researchers haven't been able to find a clear connection between moderate caffeine intake and fertility problems, it's generally considered safe to consume 200 to 300 milligrams (mg) of caffeine daily while trying to conceive.
Also, it is important to remember that egg quality is greatly affected by your age. As you age, your eggs will begin to decline in quality as well as in number. By the time you are in your late 30s or early 40s, you will probably have more poor quality eggs available than good quality eggs.
Treatment Options for Women with Poor Egg Quality
Once a woman is diagnosed with poor egg quality, they have various treatment options open to them. The fertility specialist will start by prescribing fertility drugs to improve egg quality so that the woman may conceive.
Contact your IVF center if your embryos were tested "abnormal" Not all of these patients have transferred their embryos yet, but those who did established again quite remarkable pregnancy rates for their ages.
Regular physical activity can lessen such deleterious effects by releasing endorphins, improving circulation, blocking the release of excessive cortisol and catecholamines. Overall, blood flow is increased to the uterus and the ovaries, resulting in better egg quality and embryo implantation.
Here are a few ways to improve your egg quality for IVF or conception. Boost blood flow: Oxygenated blood to the ovaries is crucial for having healthy eggs. To increase the oxygenated blood flow to these organs, it is essential to stay hydrated. Consume at least 6 to 8 glasses of water or fluid per day.