According to research, Menopause signs are predictable The amount of eggs, stored in woman's ovaries is like sand grains in a sand-glass, timing the days by he biological clock. Nowadays experts claim that they may have an ability to predict the time when the clock will stop. And despite of the fact that doctors aren't really able to count the eggs in the ovary, they can estimate ovary's volume. Experts from Britain say to have found a direct connection between these two and by estimating ovary's volume with the help of transvaginal ultrasound, medics will obtain an ability to predict the time of menopause start and how much more the woman will be fertile. Despite of the fact the these data need to be proven by clinical researches, their advantage can be used for female patients who overcome a course of curing for cancer and females visiting fertility medical centers, claims Tom Kelsey, co-worker on the research work published in Human Reproduction on June 17. "If patients are seeking for some assisted insight and their health care providers are competent they have long period to menopause, a choice of treatments can be offered", added Kelsey, who works as a chief research scientist in the Scottish University of St. Andrews. "If it is known that menopause should be expected in four to five years, a different range of in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be scheduled". Some experts claim, however, that these discoveries should be used carefully. As the article claims, eggs are produced in woman's ovary when she is in the womb yet, with culmination at several millions at the halfway of pregnancy and then a continuous decrease starts. When a girl is born, she has several hundred thousand, when monthly flux comes, up to 300,000. When a woman is nearly 37, she has up to 25,000 eggs remaining, and when menopause comes - only up to 1,000. The period in which menopause comes is strongly considered to be the time when the amount of eggs reaches a dramatically low level. The research's authors estimated ovary's volume with the help of transvaginal ultrasound, they studied the connection of ovary's volume (ovaries are smaller in size when woman gets older) and eggs' amount. After, they used mathematical and digital technologies to forecast menopause. The research organizers hold negotiations with a medical school to process clinical tests. The concept is to watch women to find out if the forecasts are really exact. While these scientists have discovered an instrument which will possibly help women plan their life, a second research in the same edition of Human Reproduction alerts that females may not have a desire to give it up too late. ART (Assisted reproductive technology) is not reliable for the aim of complete compensation for the absence of natural fecundity after 35, claims the article. The researchers applied a digital simulation technique to define that the general success level of ART would be 30 per cent for women who try to get pregnant after the age of 30, 24 per cent for women attempting to get pregnant from the age of 35, and 17 per cent for those at the age of 40.   SOURCES: Tom Kelsey, Ph.D., senior research fellow, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Alan Copperman, M.D., director, reproductive medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York; June 17, 2004, Human Reproduction