Egg Donation and IVF

IVF In-vitro fertility is a medical procedure used to treat infertile couples and help them in conception. During IVF once the eggs are matured, they are collected and fertilized with sperms in laboratories. Thereafter, the fertilized embryos are transferred to uterus. One IVF cycle takes about 3 weeks. IVF can be done with your own eggs and your partner’s sperms. Alternatively, it may involve sperms, eggs or both from anonymous donor. In some cases altruistic surrogacy can also be used.

WHO NEEDS EGG DONATION?

In post cancer patients whose ovaries are damaged, 

ovarian surgery or radiation

Woman born without ovaries due to congenital anomaly

Cancelled IVF treatment due to low ovarian response or low ovarian reserve

Repeated IVF failure which is unexplained

Women whose ovarian reserve is low (Due to raised FSH levels or low antral count)

Premature ovarian failure

Age related infertility

Women with Autosomal Recessive disorder

WHO CAN BE AN EGG DONAR? (According to ICMR guideline 2017)

Donors should be healthy (as determined by medical and psychological examination, screening for STDs, and absence of HIV antibodies)

The age of the donor must not be less than 21 or more than 35 years.

The recipient should be a having normal genitalia (as determined by physical examination) and uterine cavity (as determined by hysterosalpingography).

In case of OD, the semen characteristics of the husband must be determined to see if they are in conformity with those associated with normal fertility. 

The blood group of the donor and Rh status should be noted and the donor should also be tested for HIV, HBsAg, HCV and VDRL and identifiable and common genetic disorders such as Thalassemia. 

Other relevant information of the donor, such as height, weight, age, educational qualifications, profession, colour of the skin and the eyes, and the family background in respect of history of any familial disorder, must be recorded in an appropriate proforma.

PROCESS OF EGG DONSTION AND IVF

Egg Donors are recruited and screened for various diseases and a due written consent is taken before participating in IVF procedures.Once the donor is recruited, she undergoes stimulation process, where several injections are given to her and when eggs are matured, egg retrieval procedure is done. After the ovum pick up eggs are fertilized in lab with sperm of male partner of the recipient,Once the embryo reaches the Blastocyst stage, the best embryos are placed in the uterus of the recipient, whose uterus is prepared for embryo transfer beforehand.

RISK OF EGG DONATION

The worst risk is development of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and if left untreated can be life threatening.There are also chances of psychological disturbancesLong term effect of repeated egg donation can lead to increased cancer risk but further studies are required to confirm it.Some studies do support that recipient is at higher risk of developing hypertensive disease of pregnancy as mother has to cope with higher degree of antigenic dissimilarity.

WHERE CAN EGG DONARS BE FOUND?

Fertility clinics where IVF treatment is offeredEgg Donor agenciesEgg bankAnother infertile couple who is willing to share their retrieved eggs with you

LEGAL RIGHT OF EGG DONOR RECIPIENT AND THE RIGHT OF CHILD BORN THROUGH IT(ACCORDING TO ICMR GUIDELINE)

There are many potential legal issues that arise when egg donors are used by infertile couples. The egg donor contract should explicitly state that the donor waives all parental rights forever, that any children born from the donated eggs are the legitimate children of the prospective parents.Once all the legal and financial issues are settled, and the donor and intended mother have completed whatever fertility testing and screening is required for treatment to begin we will start the actual egg donor IVF cycleA child born through ART shall be presumed to be the legitimate child of the couple, having been born in wedlock and with the consent of both the spouses. Therefore, the child shall have a legal right to parental support, inheritance, and all other privileges of a child born to a couple through sexual intercourse. Children born through the use of donor gametes, and their “adopted” parents shall have a right to available medical or genetic information about the genetic parents that may be relevant to the child’s health. Children born through the use of donor gametes shall not have any right whatsoever to know the identity (such as name, address, parentage, etc.) of their genetic parent(s). A child thus born will, however, be provided all other information about the donor as and when desired by the child, when the child becomes an adult. While the couple will not be obliged to provide the above “other” information to the child on their own, no deliberate attempt will be made by the couple or others concerned to hide this information from the child as and when asked for by the child. In the case of a divorce during the gestation period, if the offspring is of a donor programme – be it sperm or ova – the law of the land as pertaining to a normal conception would apply.

SUCCESS RATE WITH EGG DONOR IVF

According to the Center for Disease Control, the live birth rate for donor egg IVF is 55.9 percent for fresh embryo transfer and 40.2 percent for frozen embryo transfer.But the success rate may vary .

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS IF SOMEONE DOSENT WANT TO GO WITH DONAR EGG?

When some couple doesn’t want to go for donor egg their option will depend on why they donor was required

There are certain options:

Trying conventional IVF with your own eggs with understanding that success rate will be low.

Pursuing adoptions

Choosing a child free life