Are IVF Babies Different? - Myths and Facts about IVF and Egg Donation

Before opting for IVF, some parents have doubts about the fertilization procedure. It is a fact that IVF babies do not differ from those born after natural fertilization. However, there are still some misconceptions associated with IVF that should be revealed. This article will dispel the myth and show how these procedures are carried out today.

The first child born using the in vitro fertilization method is almost 40 years old. The procedure has worked out well. Nevertheless, parents who decide on the IVF procedure have many questions. Here are the answers to some of them.

How painful is egg retrieval and then embryo transfer for a woman?

New technologies have made the procedure comfortable and fast. Egg retrieval is done under anesthesia. The introduction of the embryo into the uterus is also painless.

Does the stimulation of a woman with hormones harm the mother and the unborn child?

Today, doctors have abandoned hyperstimulation, which implies large doses of hormones. Thus, doctors achieved the maturation of many follicles. Now the woman receives a measured amount of hormones, it does not have side effects, but at the same time, it is effective enough for the ovary to produce healthy, strong eggs.

How is an embryo selected for transfer?

Before implantation, the embryo is carefully checked. So, preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) is carried out to select embryos without genetic disorders and chromosomal diseases and only then transfer them to the uterus. Another test is through the next-generation sequencing method. It allows you to get complete chromosomal information about the embryo, preventing the unborn child from many serious disorders. Reproductologists choose the strongest embryo, which means that the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy is much higher.

In what situations do reproductive specialists offer mothers to use donor eggs?

Today's women think about motherhood at an older age. The best time for natural pregnancy is the mother's age from 19 to 30 years. During this period, nature provides a woman with many fully-developed eggs. After 30, the number of follicles gradually decreases, and the quality of the eggs is no longer so good. At 33, fertility rapidly decreases - there is only a seventh of the reproductive potential that a woman receives at birth. Of course, in addition to this, there are other cases in which doctors recommend using only donor eggs. For example, genetic diseases of the intended mother. Before the procedure, fertility doctors carefully examine the egg donors. An oocyte donor must have healthy children and have a compatible blood type, Rh factor, general characteristics of health, and physique are also taken into account.

Are maternal feelings for a child born from someone else's egg the same as for an ordinary baby?

This psychological problem is easily solved. Under the influence of hormones, a woman's feelings change during pregnancy: she no longer feels the difference. The fetus, developed from a donor egg, becomes a part of her body. The pregnant woman creates a new organism inside.

Is it true that children born after IVF are infertile?

These speculations are based on nothing. It's just some kind of obscurantism. IVF does not interfere with the genetic code of the baby. How then can the procedure affect reproduction? Of course, the method has only recently begun to be widely used, and most IVF children have not reached their parents' age. But those who have already grown up have successfully coped with the birth of children without IVF. For example, Louise Brown, who became the world's first IVF child, successfully gave birth to a healthy son due to a natural pregnancy when she was 28 years old.

How good is the health of IVF babies?

According to the observations of pediatricians, IVF kids can get sick a little more often. True, to be honest, these problems are not related to the IVF procedure. The statistics explain that parents who have resorted to artificial conception are not very healthy themselves and can pass on diseased genes to their children. Initially, a mother or father with health issues comes to IVF with problems that interfere with conception. There is one more clarification. Age matters. Most people who opt for IVF are women after 30 years. And even later - after 38-39. Naturally, young mothers have stronger babies. But if we take women of the same age - ready to get pregnant naturally and with the help of IVF - their children's health will not be any different. Pediatricians also talk about such a pattern: mothers are more worried about the long-awaited child who has suffered. With any sneeze, the beloved child is immediately taken to the clinic. And every such visit counts crafty statistics.

There is one more clarification. Age matters. Most people who opt for IVF are women after 30 years. And even later - after 38-39. Naturally, young mothers have stronger babies. But if we take women of the same age - ready to get pregnant naturally and with the help of IVF - their children's health will not be any different. Pediatricians also talk about such a pattern: mothers are more worried about the long-awaited child who has suffered. With any sneeze, the beloved child is immediately taken to the clinic. And every such visit counts crafty statistics.

Summing It Up

We hope that this article helped you to understand how conception, pregnancy, and IVF babies differ from the ones people naturally have. Be it an IVF baby or not - it is your child, a part of your family, which makes it the most precious creature in the world.