Fertility News about Egg Donation

According to the American Pregnancy Association, approximately 3000 babies are born each year using donor eggs. Read below for one women's experience donating and for background information and considerations for women contemplating egg donation.

Norwalk, CT (PRWEB) April 29, 2005 -- Catherine Howard was in college when she read about egg donation in a magazine. Years later, after she got married and her husband began pursuing a doctorate, Howard began planning to start her own family, and recalled reading about the sadness that couples faced when trying unsuccessfully to have children. I felt as though I had to try to help these women who wanted a baby," Howard explains. After conducting exhaustive Internet research on the process, Howard applied to two separate clinics egg donation programs, and was accepted by both. The timing was right in my life," Howard recalls, So I decided to go forward with the process."

Howard is not alone. According to the American Pregnancy Association, approximately 3,000 babies are born each year using donor eggs. Donor eggs are a gift to many infertile women who, due to maternal age, premature menopause or other untreatable hormonal disorders, cannot produce viable eggs of their own. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control (2002 ART Report), In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) success rates when using donor eggs far outpace those that use the mothers own eggs, particularly when maternal age is over 35. Indeed, by age 40, the report notes, only 20% of IVF cycles using the mothers own eggs were successful, compared with more than 50% of cycles using donor eggs. At age 45, the disparity widened to 2% versus 51%, respectively.

But what motivates young, healthy women to go through the process of egg donation for the benefit of complete strangers? According to Dr. Mark Leondires, MD, a board-certified endocrinologist and medical director at Reproductive Medicine Associates of CT (RMA of CT), most donors -- like Catherine Howard -- are moved by altruistic reasons to help other would-be mothers to conceive. Women who are enjoying, or looking forward to enjoying, a family of their own can imagine the pain associated with the inability to make that dream come true. They want to help," he explains.

Catherine Howard chose RMA of CT to facilitate her donation. The clinic staff first put Howard through a battery of medical evaluations -- from physical exams to psychological counseling. I was very happy that they (RMA of CT) were as concerned with my health and well-being during the process as they were about the recipients," she notes. I felt well taken care of."

Dr. Leondires notes that potential donors like Howard are smart to find a fertility center that will cater to their needs. The donor becomes our patient as well," Dr. Leondires explains. Of course, the center must begin by providing the best level of medical care possible. But we also must be mindful of her concerns, and strive to make the process as physically and emotionally comfortable as we can," he says. This approach is ultimately what allows us to facilitate a positive, healthy experience for the donor, as well as for the recipient," he adds.

In fact, Howard -- who now lives in -- Wisconsin was so at ease with RMA of CT that shes completed three separate rounds of egg donation, the last of which she traveled back to Connecticut to finish. Each round lasts about a month, and involves stimulating the ovaries with hormone injections during the first two weeks, ending with a minimally-invasive procedure to harvest the eggs around day 28. There was no pain or discomfort associated with the process," Howard notes. There was a bit of bloating, but it was definitely tolerable."

For Howard, part of her reason for donating was personal. I have a good friend who struggled with infertility," she reveals, And so I knew first-hand how devastating it is. So for me, I wanted to be able to help a couple overcome that, and bring a little person into the world who was so wanted and loved," she explains. I am so proud of that. My husband, and even my mom, were proud of me for helping in such a profound way, too."

Leondires admits that, without the generosity of egg donors, many couples who struggle with infertility would likely never know the joys of conceiving and delivering a child. Egg donation truly is the light at the end of the infertility tunnel for many couples who otherwise wouldnt have much hope, he notes. But Dr. Leondires also points out that egg donation is a major life decision. He suggests that potential donors contact a Board-certified reproductive endocrinologist with a respected egg donor program. Only through comprehensive evaluation, information and counseling can potential donors truly make the decision that is right for themselves," he notes.

Bio:
Dr. Mark P. Leondires, M.D., FACOG, is a leading authority on reproductive medicine. Dr. Leondires is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is a member of the Society of Reproductive Endocrinologists, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Leondires earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. Dr. Leondires completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. After completion of his training, he fulfilled his military obligation by serving as the ART Director for the largest and most successful program in the military health care system at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During this time he was an Assistant Professor at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and clinical faculty for the Combined Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology. Dr. Leondires is currently Medical Director and lead physician with Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMA-CT) in Norwalk. Along with numerous teaching and research activities, Dr. Leondires has published articles in professional medical journals, national consumer magazines and newspapers, as well as abstracts and book chapters. More information about Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut is available at www.rmact.com.

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