At 18, Ms. Nhung underwent surgery to remove an ovary due to complications from an ovarian cyst. After marriage, she was diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency at a hospital. Her anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level, indicating ovarian reserve, was just 0.8 ng/ml, significantly low for a young woman.

After three years of unsuccessful traditional medicine treatments, the couple sought help from the Center for Reproductive Support at Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi. Doctor Le Hoang, the center's director, confirmed Ms. Nhung's premature ovarian insufficiency, noting her AMH had further declined to 0.528 ng/ml. Her uterine lining was also irregular, with a biopsy revealing endometrial hyperplasia. Her husband, while having a high sperm count, had low sperm viability.

"Without swift IVF treatment to counteract the rapid decline in ovarian function, Ms. Nhung risked needing an egg donor to conceive," Dr. Hoang explained.

Ms. Nhung began egg retrieval and embryo creation before addressing her uterine lining issues. After two cycles, only one mature egg was retrieved, offering a single chance for conception. Embryologists selected a healthy sperm from her husband and performed intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The resulting embryo was cultured in a time-lapse incubator mimicking optimal uterine conditions, producing one good-quality day-3 embryo.

The single embryo was cryopreserved while Ms. Nhung underwent treatment for endometrial hyperplasia with a hormonal IUD. However, complications with prolonged menstrual bleeding extended the treatment for a year before embryo transfer was possible. Given the low likelihood of retrieving more eggs, Dr. Hoang carefully monitored her uterine lining to maximize the chances of a successful transfer.

Eight days post-transfer, Ms. Nhung became pregnant. In early June, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy weighing 3.3 kg, named Quang Phuc, meaning "happy and radiant."

Ms. Nhung's healthy baby boy weighed 3.3 kg at birth. Photo: Tam Anh IVF

Ms. Nhung's healthy baby boy weighed 3.3 kg at birth. Photo: Tam Anh IVF

Dr. Hoang stated that low AMH is a common cause of female infertility, especially in those with a history of ovarian surgery, cysts, or endometriosis. At Tam Anh IVF, optimized egg retrieval protocols and early embryo collection maximize the potential of each mature egg. This approach allows many women, even with AMH levels below 0.5 ng/ml, to retrieve two or three eggs. "Ms. Nhung's successful pregnancy with a single retrieved egg is a rare case," Dr. Hoang added.

Thanh Ba