Psychosocial outcomes of children born via embryo donation.

Study Question: What are parents' perceptions of their relationships with and the psychosocial adjustments of their children who are born via embryo donation?

Summary Answer: Families created through embryo donation have well-adjusted parent-child relationships and reassuring child psychosocial outcomes.

What Is Known Already: Embryo donation is an effective and growing form of third-party reproduction, but there is limited research in this field. Prior studies suggest that families created through gamete donation function well regarding parent-child relationship quality and child behavioral and socioemotional adjustment.

Assisted reproduction using donated embryos: outcomes from surveillance systems in six countries.

Background: Embryo donation, though less often performed than other assisted reproductive technology (ART), can represent an attractive option for couples who do not wish to discard their embryos remaining after IVF, and for those who cannot or should not conceive naturally. Clinicians and potential participants could benefit from information comparing outcomes of embryo donation with those of other ARTs, in various countries.

Methods: We analyzed outcome information from ART treatment cycles using 2001-2008 data from national surveillance systems in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Finland.

Birth of twins unrelated to each other or to their gestational mother.

This report records the first documented instance of a birth in which twins, genetically unrelated to each other, were born to a mother genetically unrelated to either of them. After an extensive history of infertility with multiple unsuccessful treatments, a 42-year-old woman gave birth to healthy twins following transfer of three embryos from two different donor sources. DNA testing confirmed that the twins represented both sources.

A cost-effectiveness comparison of embryo donation with oocyte donation.

Objective: To compare the cost-effectiveness of embryo donation (ED) to that of oocyte donation (OD).

Design: Calculation of cost-effectiveness ratios (costs per outcome achieved) using data derived from clinical practices.

Setting: In vitro fertilization centers and embryo donation programs.

Favorable pregnancy, delivery, and implantation rates experienced in embryo donation programs in the United States.

Objective: To document the numbers of donated frozen ETs performed and the pregnancy, birth, and embryo implantation rates seen in four infertility clinics and three embryo donation agencies in the United States.

Design And Setting: Case series. Four infertility clinics and three embryo donation agencies in the United States contributed data from their first year of available information through calendar year 2006.