Shady Grove Fertility's Highly Successful IVF Cycles Mean More Embryos Available to Hopeful Parents through Embryo Donation Program
Favorable live birth rates and diverse donor embryo registry provide SGF patients who are trying to conceive with another affordable option to start or grow their family.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The technological advancements made at SGF in the last decade surrounding in vitro fertilization (IVF) have allowed thousands of patients to achieve their dreams of parenthood with increasing efficiency and fewer IVF cycles, which is good news for the growing number of hopeful parents who are turning to embryo donation to build their families.
SGF's Embryo Donation Program offers another option for intended parents through the use of donated embryo(s). "Becoming a recipient of a donated embryo offers a unique and cost-effective alternative for some who are looking to grow their families, and an option that more and more individuals and couples are utilizing. In some cases, a woman or couple might not otherwise be able to experience the joys of carrying a pregnancy, giving birth, or becoming a parent," shared Program Director, Michele Purcell, MHA, RN.
Through SGF's Embryo Donor Registry, each anonymous donor profile provides an opportunity for intended parent(s) to learn about those who are donating in regard to their medical history, physical characteristics, as well as family demographic and health information as well as pictures of donors as children. Through anonymous donation, the identity of the embryo donor is not available, in contrast to known (or direct) embryo donation, in which the recipient knows the donor, such as a family member, friend, or acquaintance, offering the intended parent(s) to have a unique relationship with their donors.
To ensure the parameters of a known donation are well defined, the recipient(s) and donors are required to seek legal counsel with an attorney who specializes in reproductive law as well as a mental health professional to ensure all parties have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain resources to aid in their decision making. In addition, psychological evaluations are required for known donation as a way to manage expectations of each party.
"The screening criteria to qualify as an embryo donor limits donors to only those who created and stored embryos at SGF, as we require layers and layers of safeguards and strict quality controls within our labs," adds Purcell.
"In our practice, the demand for donor embryos continues to grow, which is why we work closely with our patients to remind them of their options—embryo donation being one of them—to consider when their family building is complete," says Purcell.
Patients may donate as few as one embryo, or as many frozen embryos that meet the eligibility requirements.
"Embryo donation allows patients who once struggled themselves to conceive to share the joy of parenthood with someone else," says Purcell. "With donating comes a tremendous sense of pride in being able to help another person or couple achieve their dreams of parenthood," adds Purcell.
While a relatively new program at SGF, the practice reports a 250% growth in the number of donor embryo transfers from 2017 to 2018, with over 100 donor embryo cycles completed last year alone, and a 43 percent ongoing pregnancy rate per embryo transfer. "In contrast to our IVF program, the success rates look fairly comparable. Our preliminary 2017 success rates show a delivery rate of 49 percent per embryo transfer in women under 35 using their own eggs, and a 50 percent delivery rate per embryo transfer in women using an egg donated from a fully prescreened donor who is between the ages of 21 and 32," says Eric A. Widra, Chief Medical Officer at SGF.
To learn more about donating embryos created at SGF, or to inquire about SGF's Embryo Donation Program, please contact Alethia Woodley, SGF's Donor Embryo Coordinator, by phone 301-545-1230 or by email [email protected].
About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)
SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 50,000 babies born and counting. With 33 locations throughout MD, PA, VA, D.C., GA, and FL, we offer patients individualized care, accept most insurance plans, and make treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including treatment guarantees. More physicians refer their patients to SGF than any other center. Call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com.
SOURCE Shady Grove Fertility
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