标签： Donor Eggs

Do Women treated with donor eggs pass on DNA?

Last modified: 20 2 月, 2017

Do women treated with donor eggs pass on DNA to their babies? According to new research the answer is positive.

It has been previously shown by a study conducted at theepigenetics and donor eggs University of Southampton that the environment in which an embryo grows, that is the womb environment, can affect the embryo’s development. According to experts that event is related to epigenetics. More specifically the embryo’s genes’ activity may be turned up or down in response to specific genetic factors present in the womb fluid of the woman.

But how is this related to infertile women treated with donor eggs? Well it was previously thought that the embryo produced by a fertilized donor egg would share characteristics of the father and the egg donor, not the woman in whom it was implanted. However, according to a recent study conducted at IVI Valencia, a Spanish fertility clinic and Stanford University, genetic material of the pregnant woman was detected into the womb fluid. Laboratory findings confirmed that these fragments of genetic material in the womb are actually absorbed by the embryo.

Researchers studied 20 women, reporting the presence of DNA and its influence on how the embryo develops. This could mean a lot for many women getting pregnant through IVF treated with donor eggs, as they can feel they actually contribute to their baby’s development. It is uplifting to know that their babies could actually get something from them even if it is not their eggs.

These findings may be the first step in elucidating the complex mechanisms underlying the womb environment effects on the development of the embryo. Scientists consider the data provided by this study as an amazing discovery, encouraging infertile women who used egg donation as an IVF treatment by revealing that their baby will eventually have some of their genetic material.

The study, published in the medical journal Development, was led by Dr Vilella and Dr Simon who commented that there are still a lot of things to discover regarding the effects of the mother’s genetic material and how it confers with the baby.

What do you think of this piece of information?

Would you consider it as an optimistic approach of Egg Donation treatment?

 

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Egg Donation On The Rise

Last modified: 26 10 月, 2015
Egg Donation On The Rise

Among women over 45, more now use Egg Donation than their own eggs when using medical assistance to get pregnant.

Egg donation is the process by which a fertile woman donates her eggs to an infertile woman for purposes of assisted reproduction. According to recent statistical studies, egg donation for IVF appears to be on the rise as the number of women using egg donors to get pregnant is constantly increasing. — and with good results.

This is probably not a surprise since that’s something that most people are likely to consider if becomes clear to them that egg donation is going to be the only way in which family creation via assisted conception can be possible. This frequently applies to women of older age whose fertility has started to decrease. Among women over 45, more now use donated eggs than their own when using medical assistance to get pregnant.

Recent statistics surrounding the egg donation industry show a rise of donor egg pregnancies, although the ideal outcome — a single baby born on time at a healthy weight — is still uncommon. A US study reported a 69 percent increase in fresh and frozen IVF cycles from 2000-2010 and that attempts using donor eggs increased over the decade from 10,801 to 18,306.

In 2010, about a quarter of the women who used donor eggs had good birth outcomes (a singleton born after at least 37 weeks) compared to 19 percent in 2000. This is probably related to the number of embryos transferred to the intended mother’s womb. According to the study, single embryos were used in 15 percent of IVF cycles in 2010. In 2000, that number was less than one percent.

The number of egg donors is also increased over the past years and according to Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) women registering as altruistic donors have risen every year since 2006. The HFEA study which surveyed 1423 egg donors at 60 IVF clinics in 11 European countries, reported that the majority of donors are keen to help infertile couples for altruistic reasons, but a large proportion also expect a financial benefit.

What could possibly motivate you for becoming an egg donor, money or altruistic reasons?

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