Embryo adoption is an assisted reproduction technique that consists of transferring to a woman who wishes to become a mother the embryos of another couple that were left without an assigned destination after an IVF cycle and under the custody of the clinic. They carry, therefore, the genetic load of other people.
In 2004, at Institut Marquès we decided to assign the embryos from healthy parents that had remained in legal custody at our center to an Embryo Adoption Program, an international pioneer in this type of technique. Currently, it is the largest in the world.
These embryos come from patients under 35 years of age, who have successfully undergone In Vitro Fertilization treatment and no longer wish to have more children. In many cases they come from egg and/or sperm donors.
During the 17 years of the program, patients of 124 different nationalities have come to Institut Marquès centers and specialists in Assisted Reproduction to adopt an embryo. More than 2,000 children have already been born thanks to this initiative.
The choice of this treatment often also responds to an ethical or moral interest of people who want to create a family by giving life to embryos that have been donated and are kept in our laboratories. It is undoubtedly a beautiful love story.
If a couple does not use their embryos and another couple wants to use them, should the biological parents always be consulted?
Regarding the destination of frozen embryos that are not used, the Spanish Law on Assisted Reproduction allows them to be implanted in the woman herself, donated to other patients, destroyed or donated for research. The document in which patients have to decide the fate of the surplus embryos from their cycle presents them with a difficult situation. Often, they do not sign any option and ask us to be the ones who choose the best option for them. As a result, every year we are faced with hundreds of frozen embryos, and it is up to the reproductive center managers to decide their fate.
What are the benefits of this option for the adoptive couple, and when is this technique chosen instead of another?
Embryo adoption is an alternative for those who need egg and sperm donation in order to have a child. Among the benefits compared to other Assisted Reproduction techniques, it is worth mentioning that the embryos come from healthy couples, under 35 years of age, and with great implantation potential.
What kind of groups or people opt more for embryo adoption?
This technique is used with couples or women on waiting lists for the adoption of children, women without a male partner who wish to have a child, couples with long-standing infertility problems and repeated failures in in vitro fertilization or patients with repeated miscarriages. There are also cases of people whose religious principles do not allow them to opt for Assisted Reproduction techniques, but who do contemplate the adoption of embryos.
What will the embryo adoption process consist of?
The Assisted Reproduction treatment with embryo adoption is a simple process that is carried out without the need for hospitalization. First of all, the good health of the woman is checked in order to be able to carry out the pregnancy, by means of an ultrasound and a painless test of the catheter with which the embryos will be transferred through the cervix.
The uterus is then prepared to receive the embryos. For this purpose, medication in the form of tablets or transdermal patches is prescribed. Finally, when the uterus is ready, after a few days, the embryo is thawed and the embryo transfer is performed.
After the positive pregnancy test, the pregnancy is completely normal.