Are Egg Donor Babies Healthy? Addressing Common Concerns

One of the greatest concerns when considering egg donation as a means to achieve pregnancy is whether the resulting babies will be healthy. Well, there are a number of screening tests that donors undergo to ensure that no abnormalities are passed on to the baby. These include genetic testing, screening for infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis, as well as overall health to ensure high quality eggs for conception.

Additionally, after fertilization the embryos are also subjected to genetic testing to check for chromosomal abnormalities so that only healthy embryos may be implanted in the recipient’s uterus. We shall explore the different tests, the role of the donor health on the baby’s well being and address the myths and misconceptions of egg donation in this article.

Understanding Genetic Screening & Testing

The first step towards a successful egg donation process is DNA testing to check for variants in certain recessive genes that may lead to moderate or severe abnormalities in the fertilized embryo and child. This test is known as genetic carrier screening. The test usually takes 3 to 4 weeks and is performed on the donor’s blood or saliva.

There are two kinds of genes, a recessive and a dominant gene. An individual inherits two copies of each gene, one from the egg and the other from the sperm. A recessive gene will only manifest if an individual inherits two copies of the recessive allele( a version of the gene). A dominant gene on the other hand will be expressed even if an individual has one allele of each gene - the dominant gene will override the recessive gene. 

A carrier is an individual who has only one copy of a recessive gene and may not show symptoms of the recessive disease. If the egg donor’s egg and the sperm used to fertilize it both have the recessive variant of the same gene then the child may be born with the autosomal recessive disease.

The Role of Donor Health in Baby’s Well-Being

An egg donor’s health will greatly impact the quality of eggs they donate and therefore the baby’s health. It is critical to ensure that a donor is in sound health as it will directly affect the success of a pregnancy. Below are some of the ways a donor’s health impacts a baby’s well-being:

• Age: A donor’s age will have an impact on the egg quality. Egg donors who are between the ages of 18 and 35 have the highest quality of eggs which in turn will lead to healthy babies.
• Drug use: The use of drugs interferes with a donor’s hormonal balance and thus affects the quantity and quality of eggs they produce. Conception from affected eggs may result in miscarriages, low birth weight and preterm births.
• Donor BMI: Body Mass Index (BMI) is the measure of one’s weight against their height to establish the amount of body fat a healthy BMI is necessary for optimum egg health. Obesity and being underweight may lead to hormonal imbalance which in turn may result in low quality eggs. Eggs fertilized from donors with extreme BMI - either too low or too high, may lead to preterm births.
• Mental health: A donor should be of sound mind without a history of mental disorders in their lineage as this would impact embryo development and the resulting baby’s mental health.
• Alcohol use: Whereas moderate consumption of alcohol may be permissible, excessive use may affect the donor’s hormonal health leading to poor quality eggs. Eggs fertilized from donors with a history of heavy alcohol consumption may result in preterm babies.
• Genetic disorders: A donor with a history of inheritable genetic disorders may not have the desirable quality of eggs necessary for a healthy baby since they may pass on the genetic disorder to the baby.

Research on Egg Donor Baby Health Outcomes

Egg donation is an efficient tool that is increasingly being used to gift women with fertility challenges the ability to conceive and enjoy parenthood. However there have been concerns surrounding the health and wellbeing of children born using donor eggs over the years as individuals worry whether these children turn out healthy. 

According to a study by the National Library of Science on families created by egg donation, children conceived through egg donation have a relatively normal physical and psychological well being as those born from spontaneous conception. Additionally, it is equally important to raise an egg donor-conceived child in a healthy and loving family to promote its health and development.

Addressing Myths & Misconceptions

Egg donation is a noble process that offers individuals with fertility challenges a chance to enjoy parenthood. It can be clouded with lies due to myths and misconceptions. Below are common ones:

It Harms The Donor’s Health

Egg donation is a safe procedure especially when performed by medical professionals in reputable fertility clinics. Additionally thorough screening is done to ensure that the donors are in sound physical and mental health to be able to go through the procedure and also produce healthy eggs.

It is Painful

Egg donors receive sedation to prevent pain during retrieval, with mild post-procedure discomfort managed by over-the-counter painkillers. Most resume normal activities within a day or two.

May Result in Future Infertility

Egg donation does not impact future fertility, as only eggs that would naturally be lost are retrieved. The remaining eggs continue to mature, allowing the donor to conceive later if desired.

It May Result in Early Menopause or Deplete a Donor’s Eggs

Egg donation does not cause early menopause nor does it deplete a donor’s egg reserve as every female is born with millions of eggs and only a small percentage is used in the lifetime of an egg donor.

Although there are concerns on the health of egg donor babies, research indicates that these children are as healthy as spontaneously conceived babies. Rigorous screening of egg donor candidates, genetic and medical testing and hormonal treatments ensure that donor-conceived babies are healthy. Additionally ensuring a loving and supporting environment promotes the child’s well being. 

Egg donation continues to offer hope to individuals facing fertility challenges. At Fertility Associates of Memphis, our skilled fertility experts will customize your egg donation needs and allay your fears of donor- conceived babies’ health concerns. Schedule your appointment today and have all your questions answered with confidence.

FAQs

Is there a higher risk of birth defects with donor eggs?

No. Egg donor-conceived babies generally have comparable health outcomes to naturally conceived babies, as long as donors undergo thorough medical screening.

Does egg donation impact the baby’s genetics?

The baby's DNA is inherited from the egg donor and the intended father (or sperm donor), while the recipient supports and carries the pregnancy.

Can a donor-conceived child find their egg donor?

In certain arrangements, donor-conceived individuals may have the opportunity to access donor information once they reach 18 years of age.