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After the uproar over the octuplets born in California and the choices made by Nadya Suleman and her doctor, it seems that the whole world is paying attention to the fertility industry.
And one of the options for couples who are struggling to conceive is starting to gain some attention, particularly in light of Suleman's claims that she simply couldn't allow her "leftover" embryos to go, well, unused. (Thus her reasoning behind implanting all of her remaining 6 embryos, 2 of which later split in utero.)
Another option she might have considered? Embryo adoption.
Embryo adoption is the process by which parents who have created embryos, usually in preparation for IVF (in-vitro fertilization), then go on to allow other couples to 'adopt' the embryos instead of using the embryos themselves.
It's a relatively new concept, and one that is very exciting to some people.
One of the many aspects that some couples find appealing is the relatively low cost of the adoption, which can range anywhere from $2000-5000. Compared to repeated IVF attempts or the adoption of a live child, the cost can be considerably less. The process can take anywhere between 6-12 months to complete.
There is no national oversight to this industry, and the clinics that offer embryo adoption are relatively few. Those that do exist include San Francisco's Pacific Fertility Center (PFC), and some traditional adoption agencies, such as the Snowflakes Frozen Embryo Adoption Program in Fullerton, California. There is also now the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC), located in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Each clinic has a different set of regulations for potential adoptive families, some of which include limitations on maternal age, and some have marriage requirements. In addition, some clinics allow the donating families to establish a set of requirements that they would like the adoptive family to meet, which is a common practice among adoptive agencies when the child is adopted after birth. Many clinics also require a 'home study' of the adoptive family.
Once the adoption is completed, the embryos are transfered to the adoptive family and implanted in the hopes of creating a pregnancy. Adoptive parents then face all the typical risks of pregnancy, as well as the increased risk caused by transferring two or more embryos at a time, which many parents feel increases their chances of success.
Yet, the process is an appealing option to some couples who feel the cost, timeline, and risk are all well worth the potential outcome of a successful pregnancy.
For more information about embryo adoption, contact your OB/GYN or local fertility clinic.
Source: BabyZone.com
More information about U.S. fertility clinics and possible regulation.
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Comments
Check with the adopted embryos in 15 or 20 years to see how appealing they think the process is/was.
Just so everyone understands, there is no such thing as an embryo adoption. There are no state or federal laws that require an adoption of a fertilized egg. What you describe is a donation, pure and simple. And, you need only go as far as your IVF clinic to see if they can facilitate such a donation.
Certainly there are agencies that a brokering frozen embryos. Some will require an intended parent to undergo a home study or a psychological screening. Some agencies will even suggest that you hire a certain attorney to do an "adoption".
Let the buyer beware. If you are an intended parent looking for a donated embryo, do you homework. Speak to you IVF physician and the local reproductive attorney. You can then make an informed decision on what your best reproductive choice might be.
Are the "embryo adopters" even told about their child's heritage? Original parents' names? Medical histories? Anything? If not, what makes them think they have a right to raise a child without knowledge of its own heritage? Does the prospective child have no rights at all while wannabe Mommy and Daddy are busy calling lawyers, saving money, and congratulating themselves for "adopting" a tiny ball of cells when they could have chosen to adopt a waiting child out of foster care?
Just because the adoption industry already prizes babies over older kids and seals records doesn't make it right.
No other words to describe. Horrific. These poor people - how alienated they'll feel once they grow up.
Actually, I think that the embryos donated/adopted are going to be very happy with the process. The alternative is usually that they don't exist - still frozen indefinitely, or destroyed. Many adoptive/recipient parents have an open arrangement with the genetic donors - so it's very much like traditional adoption, except the families can experience pregnancy / birth. In all, it's probably less traumatic for the children than traditional adoption as they are not ripped away from their birth mothers just after birth - they grow with their adoptive family from the start, the mother can breastfeed etc. It isn't something that is hidden. And traditional adoption - foster care, live birth etc is prohibitively expensive with long lists of requirements for many families. In our situation, having donated embryos, our children know about each other and are celebrating their unique connection. If the parents are ok with it, the kids are too. In our case, anything the child wants to know about heritage, medical history, etc are all 100% available. Having watched someone adopt through foster care - wow - extremely difficult for all involved. That isn't to say it shouldn't be done - it's a wonderful gift, but not exchangable with traditional infant adoption for many couples.
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