Researchers found that at 443 clinics the annual number of donor egg cycles performed in the United States increased from 10,801 in 2000 to 18,306 in 2010.
Between 2000 and 2010 the number of donor eggs used for in vitro fertilization in the United States increased and outcomes for births from those eggs improved, according to a recently published study.
The number of live births to women in their early 40s in the United States has increased steadily over the past several decades. The prevalence of egg donation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) has increased, but little information is available in regards to maternal or infant outcomes to improve counseling and clinical decision making, according to the background information provided in the published article.
Jennifer F. Kawwass, M.D., of the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, and colleagues looked at trends in donor egg usage in the United States and assessed perinatal outcomes. The study used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Surveillance System (NASS). All fertility centers are required to report their data to this system, which includes data on more than 95 percent of all IVF cycles performed in the United States. Good perinatal outcome was defined as a single live born infant delivered at 37 weeks or later weighing 5.5 lbs. or more.
Researchers found that at 443 clinics the annual number of donor egg cycles performed in the United States increased from 10,801 in 2000 to 18,306 in 2010, as did the percentage of cycles that involved frozen eggs or embryos and that involved elective single embryo transfer. Good perinatal outcomes increased from 18.5 percent to 24.4 percent. Average age remained consistent at 28 years old for donors and 41 years for recipients. Recipient age was not found to be associated with likelihood of a good perinatal outcome.
“Use of donor oocytes is an increasingly common treatment for infertile women with diminished ovarian reserve for whom the likelihood of good perinatal outcome appears to be independent of recipient age. To maximize the likelihood of a good perinatal outcome, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine recommendations suggesting transfer of a single embryo in women younger than 35 years should be considered. Additional studies evaluating the mechanisms by which race/ethnicity, infertility diagnosis, and day of embryo culture affect perinatal outcomes in both autologous [donor and recipient are the same person] and donor IVF pregnancies are warranted to develop preventive measures to increase the likelihood of obtaining a good perinatal outcome among ART users,” the authors wrote in the paper.
JAMA released this study early online to coincide with its presentation at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the International Federation of Fertility Societies joint annual meeting.
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