Egg donation
Designated for women whose eggs are abnormal, early ovarian failure, carriers of certain genetic diseases or are at advanced age for pregnancy.
Women at an advanced age for natural reproduction, where the genetic quality of the eggs is poor and does not allow viable pregnancy are the largest group for this treatment. In most cases, these are women aged 40-45 years and older. With age, a decline in ovarian function and egg genetic quality occurs and the female partner is no longer able to conceive or obtain a viable pregnancy, even by in vitro fertilization (IVF). Sometimes a similar phenomenon is found in young women when their ovaries do not contain oocytes for different reasons, or the ovaries cease to function early in their lives: Premature Ovarian Failure. Some genetic defect carriers (detected in a survey or/and genetic tests before conception) are candidates to replace their eggs with donated eggs.
Whose child is this?
The embryo is the result of the female partner egg fertilization by the male partner sperm. The egg inherits the one pair (23 chromosomes) and the sperm inherits the second pair of chromosomes, thus creating the future child’s genetic genome (46 chromosomes). Beginning from the moment of embryo implantation (day 5 after fertilization), the mother carrying the pregnancy changes and stabilizes the genetic expression of the future baby (phenotype). This process is called Epigenetics. The mother’s role in epigenetics is huge and she is responsible for most of the neonate’s properties and not the egg donor. The eggs are obtained from young women, which will be fertilized with the sperm (male partner’s or donor sperm) in the process of IVF.
The treatment is performed to the Egg Donor, and the recipient’s womb is synchronized with the donor IVF treatment, so that embryo transfer will be performed to the recipient.
Egg Donor selection and treatment:
Donors undergo rigorous screening, which focuses on the donor’s general health and family genetic history. Also, the donor undergoes a series of tests that will ensure that they do not carry infectious diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases and some genetic test. It is strongly recommended to perform a family genetic screen to the egg donor and the male partner to ensure that the donor and male partner are not carriers of a similar genetic mutation (that has 25% risk of a genetic affected baby).
Donor egg fertilization and fertilization is done similarly as described in “In vitro fertilization”. After the egg is picked up, it is fertilized by the male partner’s sperm (or donor sperm from the sperm bank). It should be noted that one egg donor may donate oocytes to more than one recipient. Fertilizing the eggs in different sperm samples will create genetically different embryos that will be implanted in different wombs (different epigenetic influences).The embryos may checked genetically before implantation, ensuring a healthy baby and permitting even sex selection.
Preparation of the recipient’s uterus for embryo transfer:
If there is no ovarian hormone activity (menopause, no ovaries or Turner’s syndrome) endometrium (internal layer of the womb) is built by using estrogen (pills) and progesterone suppositories (vaginal) and/or progesterone by injections, while monitoring blood hormone levels and endometrial
Thickness (by transvaginal ultrasound scan).
Embryo Transfer.
To implant, the embryo in the womb, a very thin plastic tube is passed through the uterine cervix, under ultrasound guidance. This procedure does not include pain or discomfort.
The transplant is done on the third or fifth day after Egg pick-up from the donor’s ovaries. Subsequently, hormone levels are monitored and treatment guidelines are provided as needed.
