Adopting Parents: Embryo Adoption
Adopting frozen embryos is becoming a more popular and more widely accepted procedure. Those who might consider adopting frozen embryos are often couples who are struggling with infertility and may not be able to afford the costs of IVF. They have had unsuccessful IVF treatments, or they may be women who are unable to carry a baby to term on their own so have chosen a surrogate to carry the adopted embryos to term for them.
Usually those who adopt an embryo are already pre-disposed to adoption. They may have already gone through a traditional adoption. Perhaps the individual or couple wants to have a newborn but doesn't want to go through the emotional turmoil and expense of trying to adopt an infant internationally or locally.
Another appeal that embryo adoption holds for many couples is that they'll be able to experience pregnancy and they'll know their children have received the right prenatal care and weren't exposed to drugs or alcohol during pregnancy.
The Risks
Embryo adoption is not without risks. Scientists don't know for sure if the cryopreservation technique used to freeze embryos could potentially cause birth defects. It looks as though this is not the case. In the domestic animal industry cryopreservation has been used for years on a large scale and this large scale use hasn't resulted in unusually high numbers of birth defects. Human embryo cryopreservation isn't near the level of large scale. Still, there are no studies that show an increase in babies born with abnormalities if they start life off as a frozen embryo.
Embryo adoption does not guarantee that the recipient will have a baby. The embryo needs to implant correctly and grow. The statistic success rate for this varies by clinic or program, but generally about 35 percent of all adopted embryos end with the birth of a healthy baby.
The Costs
Most of the costs of adopting an embryo are paid for by the adopting family. In most cases, the donating family does not receive payment for their donation. The adopting family is not expected to pay for the donors IVF expenses. Before a match is made, the donor family is responsible for paying the storage fees. After a match, the adopting family may be asked to pay the storage fees.
Here's a general breakdown of how much adopting an embryo could cost.
Agency fees: Varies widely and could be between $2,500 and $10,000. Could include a variety of services including embryo shipping, additional medical testing, legal fees, counseling and matching services. Additional travel expenses may be charged.
Home study/Family Assessment: This will usually be required if you're adopting the embryo through an adoption agency instead of a clinic. The assessment could cost between $1,000 and $2,500.
Clinic Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET): This is the process of thawing the frozen embryo and transferring to the uterus. The costs for this procedure vary from clinic to clinic, but expect to pay between $2,500 and $5,000.
The Process
The process of embryo adoption will typically take around six to eight months.
One of the main stipulations in an embryo adoption is the mother's ability to carry a child to term. The woman may be required to get a letter from her doctor stating that there is no medical reason why she can't carry a pregnancy to term. If you're considering an embryo adoption, the first step you will need to take is to get tested to find out if you can carry a baby to term.
The recipient family needs to evaluate various embryo adoption providers. Once you've selected an adoption provider, you'll need to complete the agency's application. Then you'll need to find a fertility clinic that can complete the embryo transfer for you. It's also necessary to find a home study provider so that you can get the required home study completed.
When you receive matches from the agency of your choice, review the matches. Agree to a match and fill in all the legal documents and contracts. Once this is finished as you've paid any necessary fees to date, the frozen embryos will be shipped to your chosen clinic.
When the embryos arrive, you'll need to schedule a frozen embryo transfer with the clinic. Then you'll need to wait a few weeks to find out if the embryo implanted. If all goes well, you'll have a baby in nine months.
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