Author: K. Paul Katayama, M.D., Ph.D. - Director of the Advanced Institute of Fertility

Posted: May 2009

Each year hundreds of people inquire about adopting a child but are discouraged due to financial obstacles, age, and/or marriage restrictions. Legal and other expenses are involved, and the process can be very time consuming. The average time frame for completing an adoption is around nine months, and the outcome is seldom guaranteed. There have been cases where a family takes the adopted child home, and a few days or even months later, the birth parent decides to take back the child. Open adoption allows the birth parents to be part of that child's life, which adds emotional stress to the adopting family and may make them feel vulnerable to the birth parents.

Many infertile couples may think that adoption is their last resort, however due to medical advances there is another option for them. Currently the Advanced Institute of Fertility has 32 different embryo profiles to offer to couples for Embryo Adoption and 124 donated embryos available. These numbers will continue to grow as more couples willingly donate their unused embryos. The Advanced Institute of Fertility has completed 43 Embryo Adoption cycles, resulting in 23 pregnancies. The overall pregnancy rate through Embryo Adoption is 53%, and 96% of those pregnancies resulted in a live birth.

Although the embryos have no genetic link to their recipients, the receiving couple is able to experience pregnancy and give birth, and have the opportunity to hold their baby moments after he/she is born. When giving birth, the husband and wife are considered as the biological parents, therefore their names are used on the birth certificate. Because the program at the Advanced Institute of Fertility is anonymous, there are no legal fees and no risk of the donor couple seeking out the adopting parents. The costs involved with the Embryo Adoption Program are minimal compared to adoption and the time frame can be as little as two months because the embryos already exist.

Embryos are typically donated to the Advanced Institute of Fertility by couples who have achieved one or more pregnancies through in vitro fertilization and do not desire further pregnancies. These couples are carefully screened and are then profiled in an anonynous donor base, which includes a description of the couple's physical characteristics, ethnic origin, race, blood type, and family medical history. The recipient couple is able to choose embryos based on these characterictics.

The Advanced Institute of Fertility's goal is to educate couples about the Embryo Adoption Program and offer additional hope for couples wanting to achieve pregnancy and build a family of their own.

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