Can in vitro fertilization Fail?
Feb 4, 2025
Fertility
Yes, fertilization failure or abnormalities can occur. Complete fertilization failure happens in about 5% of IVF cases, meaning no embryos are formed. This can be detected the day after fertilization when no pronuclei appear in the eggs.
Other abnormalities include polyspermy, where multiple sperm fertilize a single egg, leading to embryos with abnormal chromosome numbers. These embryos are not viable.
Polyspermy is often linked to poor egg quality, as healthy eggs typically have mechanisms to prevent multiple sperm from entering.