Egg Donation May Complicate Pregnancies

Egg donation uses the technology of in vitro fertilization - IVF to obtain eggs from one woman, the egg donor, fertilize them in the laboratory and then place the embryos into another woman, the recipient. Egg donation is most commonly used when the recipient is older and thus less likely to get pregnant using her own eggs.

Egg Donation, Complications and Age

Egg donation pregnancies have lower rates of complications such as miscarriage and Down's Syndrome since the egg donor is younger and therefore produces embryos with a lower rate of chromosomal abnormalities and thus lower rates of these problems. Some complications of pregnancy do not change with egg donation. These are problems that are based on the age of the recipient. As women age, they have a higher incidence of complications such as gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension, intrauterine growth restriction. Older women also deliver by cesarean section more commonly. The increased risks have been thought to occur equally whether or not a woman used egg donation to acheive the pregnancy.

Egg Donation Study

A recent study presented at the annual meeting of the Pacific Coast Obstetrical and Gynecological Society has suggested for the first time that women who conceive by egg donation may be at higher risk for pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH).

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