Fertility warning to women over 37

How celebrities who have 'miracle babies' in their forties are giving fans false hope by secretly using IVF or donor eggs 

Stars who have children in their 40s are giving women false hope about motherhood, doctors warned yesterday.

They say the celebrities who parade ‘miracle babies’ will often have used IVF or donor eggs. 

And – because they do not make this public – their fans fail to realise that fertility declines dramatically after the age of 37.

If more celebrities were prepared to speak out it would do the world of fertility medicine a lot of good,’ said Adam Balen of the British Fertility Society.

The issue was thrown into the spotlight by a study showing that at 44 it is almost 20 times harder to get pregnant through IVF than at 39.

The rapid speeding up of their biological clock means women in their mid-40s have only a 1.3 per cent chance of the treatment working. 

But at the ages of 38 or 39 the success rate is 23.6 per cent. The point at which fertility starts to fall significantly is 38, according to researcher Marta Devesa.

‘The prognosis is really futile from 44 and onward,’ she said. Yet the growth of delayed motherhood means a fifth of British IVF patients are in their 40s.

The study figures come from a Spanish clinic that treated 4,195 patients in 12 years. Some had multiple IVF attempts.

Model Caprice gave birth to one of her sons, while the other was born with the help of a surrogate

Dr Devesa, of the Hospital Universitari Quiron-Dexeus in Barcelona, said older patients were surprised when told just how low their chances were.

‘There is not a lot of knowledge about fertility’s decline with age in the general population,’ she added.

‘And it is true that pregnancies in older women and celebrities don’t help us because many people don’t know that most of the time they have gone for egg donation.’ 

Stars who have been open about their pregnancies include actress Nicole Kidman, who was 43 when her second daughter was born via a surrogate mother.

Nicole Kidman

Professor Balen, a consultant in reproductive medicine in Leeds, said: ‘The key thing is the heartache of infertility that affects older women who haven’t realised that it’s not so easy to get pregnant just as soon as you wish.

‘And while you hear lots of good news stories about celebrities who may have given birth at an older age, nobody knows the number of celebrities who may not have been able to have babies, either because of infertility or possibly fertility treatment that has been unsuccessful.

'There is always a strong possibility that many of these celebrities may well have sought the help of assistance in a fertility clinic and may have conceived either with IVF or donor eggs.’ 

Stuart Lavery, director of IVF at Hammersmith hospital in London, said women would be shocked by the figures that were released at the Lisbon conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. 

He added: ‘This should aid conversations with patients about what their realistic hope might be.’ 

However, he disagreed with Dr Devesa’s conclusion that women aged 44 and over should use donor eggs, saying many will still want to have a child that is genetically their own.

Singer Mariah Carey was 41 when she gave birth to twins after IVF treatment

The figures, released at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology’s annual conference in Lisbon heard, add fuel to the debate about older mothers that has been playing out in Britain in recent weeks.

This includes the claim from Robert Winston, the IVF pioneer and broadcaster, is good to delay having a baby.

Lord Winston said older mothers, who have had time to gain skills and education, as well as build strong relationships, can provide children with a more stable upbringing.