Pregnancy established in an infertile patient after transfer of a donated embryo fertilised in vitro.

TLDR

In vitro fertilisation following ovarian stimulation can result in successful pregnancies, and surplus unfertilised oocytes are often preserved or donated to couples lacking oocytes. The study involved a 42‑year‑old donor who produced six follicles, from which five oocytes were fertilised (four with her husband’s sperm and one with frozen semen), yielding five embryos; three were returned to the donor and one was transferred to a 38‑year‑old recipient. The transferred embryo resulted in a pregnancy that ended in spontaneous abortion at 10 weeks, while the donor remained non‑pregnant, illustrating both the potential of donated embryos and the ethical considerations involved.

Abstract

In vitro fertilisation after stimulation of the ovulatory cycle has led to successful pregnancy. If more oocytes are recovered than are needed they may be left unfertilised, preserved, or donated to a recipient couple from whom oocytes cannot be obtained. A case of human pregnancy initiated by transfer of a donated embryo fertilised in vitro is reported. The donor was a 42 year old woman with primary infertility from whom six follicles were aspirated after stimulation of the ovulatory cycle. The recipient was a 38 year old infertile woman who had undergone several unsuccessful attempts for artificial insemination from a donor. Five oocytes were recovered from the donor9s six follicles, four of which were inseminated with spermatozoa of the donor9s husband and the fifth with a frozen sample of semen. Three of the four embryos fertilised by her husband were returned to the donor and the fifth was transferred to the recipient. No pregnancy was recorded in the donor, but pregnancy was confirmed in the recipient, though spontaneous abortion occurred after 10 weeks. This case will give useful information for further study of in vitro fertilisation, but also raises many ethical issues.