Woman gives birth with egg  from third-party donor

March 23, 2017

TOKYO- A Japanese woman has given birth to a girl after receiving in-vitro fertilization treatment with an egg from an anonymous third-party donor, a nonprofit organization based in the western Japan city of Kobe said Wednesday.

This is believed to be the first case in Japan in which a woman has given birth by utilizing an egg from an unnamed donor, sources familiar with the situation said.

There have been cases in the country in which women have delivered babies after in-vitro fertilization with eggs from their sisters or friends.

The Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology is asking its members to refrain from carrying out in-vitro fertilization treatment using eggs from third-party donors until necessary legal systems are created.

The society cites many problems that need to be solved over such treatment, including physical burdens for egg donors and parental relations.

According to the nonprofit organization, OD-Net, the woman, who is in her early 40s, received fertilization treatment after she developed premature menopause.

After receiving eggs from a publicly selected donor in her 30s, the infertile woman delivered her first daughter in January this year. The mother and the baby are in good health.

“We have found hope in our lives through the pregnancy, childbirth and childrearing,” the couple said in a statement issued through the organization.

“We aim to give hope to those who facing difficulties having babies due to disorders,” the couple said.

In a separate statement, the donor said she is glad that she was able to help the couple to have a baby.

After winning approval from the Japanese Institution for Standardizing Assisted Reproductive Technology, a total of 23 eggs were collected from the donor in July 2015.

After performing in-vitro fertilization using the sperm of the husband of the woman in her 40s, 11 fertilized eggs were frozen mainly for screenings for infectious diseases. In April last year, one fertilized egg was transplanted to the woman.

In 2013, OD-Net started providing services to assist the transplantation of fertilized eggs to infertile women who develop premature menopause before they turn 40.

The nonprofit organization has helped a total of 26 infertile couples to find egg donors. With the support of OD-Net, three other women received egg transplantation treatment. Two of them became pregnant and plan to give birth by the end of this year, according to the organization.

Given the lack of legal systems in Japan for in-vitro fertilization treatment using third-party donor eggs, some people go overseas to find donors, sources familiar with the situation said. Jiji Press