EMBRYO ADOPTION:

WHAT IS EMBRYO ADOPTION

To adopt means to take care of a human being whose biological parents were unable to.

To adopt an embryo means to try to fall pregnant with embryos whose biological parents have not chosen their destination.

Regarding the destination of frozen embryos the Spanish law for assisted human reproduction allows the following options:

1.- Implantation in the woman
2.- Donation to other patients
3.- Destroy them
4.- Donate them to scientific research

Despite offering all these options lots of couples wouldn’t decide for any of these. The document with which they confirm the destination of their surplus embryos puts them in a difficult situation which might lead to emotional conflicts. They appreciate the sibling embryos of their already born children so much that they are finally unable to sign in for any of these options. They do not respond in writing or inform us directly about their undecided state of mind and ask us to choose in their name the best option. Therefore, every year we have hundreds of frozen embryos whose destination the responsibles of the Reproduction Centres have to determine.

THE EMBRYO ADOPTION PROGRAMME OF THE INSTITUT MARQUES

In 2004 Institut Marques decided to offer all embryos coming from healthy couples that remained at our disposal to the Embryo Adoption Programme. An international pioneer project with this kind of technique which is currently the biggest world wide.

The embryos come from healthy couples who are younger than 35 years and received successfully in vitro treatment and decided to have no more children. These embryos often come from egg cell and/or sperm donation.

Our desire is to give these embryos the possibility to live and to help them to find a mother.

THEY ADOPT EMBRYOS

- Women come of age of good physical and reproductive health
- Couples or women on waiting lists for child adoption. They often have already dismissed reproduction treatment or not even contemplated for religious or ethnical believes.
- Women without male partner who wish for a child
- Couples with long term sterility problems and repeated failures with in vitro fertilization.
- Patients with repeated miscarriages.

Due to the restrictive laws in other states, patients come from different countries.

TREATMENT TO ADOPT EMBRYOS

It’s easy and painless.

The preparation of the uterus to receive the embryos consists of patches which are applied on the skin and vaginal suppositories. In a few days the uterus is prepared and the embryos can be thawed and transferred. No committal to the hospital is needed, merely physical efforts should be avoided.

After two weeks a pregnancy test needs to be done.

If it’s positive it is a normal pregnancy where you need to maintain the initial treatment for two more months.

The pregnancy check-ups are performed by your local gynaecologist.

PROCESS OF EMBRYO ADOPTION

During the initial consultation the woman’s state of health regarding possible pregnancies is checked, a gynaecological examination is performed (you can bring further medical reports with you) and the embryos are assigned.

A scan is performed and a painless catheter test with which the embryos will be transferred through the cervix.

You will receive indications on how to proceed with the treatment and a date for the thawing and transfer of the embryos will be agreed.

SUCCESS RATE

The success rate in 2009 for each embryo adoption cycle in our centre was 40%.

Please see as well link “Embryo Donation”.

SYSTEM OF EMBRYO ASSIGNMENT

To avoid the risk of future coincidence among the siblings, the especially designed assignment system assures that the embryos are distributed over different states or countries.

The last 500 cycles correspond to women coming from 24 different countries:
Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Holland, Ireland, Belgium, Bulgaria, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Mexico, USA, Australia, Algeria, Argentina, Guatemala, Canada, Russia, Albania and Morocco.

PRICE LIST FOR EMBRYO ADOPTION CYCLE

The initial consultation fee is 155 Euros.
The complete charge for the entire cycle is 3585 Euros.

WAITING LIST

There is no waiting list, as soon as all previous tests have been made and the preparatory treatment has started transfer takes place approximately two to four weeks later.

It is not necessary to run through an official adoption process, you just sign the consent form for this Assisted Reproduction Technique.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EMBRYO ADOPTION AND DONATION

The difference lies within the legal situation. For the “Donation Programme” the embryos come from couples who explicitly and in writing cede their embryos to other couples. In the “Adoption Programme” the destination of the embryos has not been chosen and therefore they are legally under the protection of the centre.

The same holds for the medical part.