Miscarriage rates using donor eggs in IVF

Hi there! I’ve done 2 IVF cycles and both lead to failure. I’ve gone through a total of 4 miscarriages, twice after IVF and one that occurred naturally. After taking on some fertility tests, the conclusion is that I’ve got low ovarian reserve and poor-quality eggs, and that’s why I have recurrent miscarriages. Now, they told me the best thing would be using donor eggs, since mine is a typical case where donor eggs are indicated. But I want to be sure that, if I use donor eggs, miscarriage rates will shrink. Or could egg donation increase the miscarriage rate conversely? If so, I don’t wanna do it.

Hello O. S. Caulton,

As ovarian reserve diminishes, so does the egg reserve. Moreover, poor egg quality increases, which translates into higher chances of carrying genetic abnormalities. Even if a poor-quality egg was fertilized and the resulting embryo was able to attach to the uterine lining, the most probable outcome it that embryonic arrest occurs, which would lead to miscarriage.

In cases of donor-egg IVF, donor eggs instead of own eggs are used. As you may know, donor eggs come from young, healthy girls, so their quality is optimal. And this is the reason why miscarriage rates usually shrink dramatically. Although accurate figures depend on each fertility clinic and the patient’s medical history, the average full-term pregnancy success rate of donor-egg IVF is about 40%.

Of course, some other factors may be the reason why you are having recurrent miscarriages, regardless of egg quality. For this reason, I recommend that you take a test to have the following factors checked: uterine alterations that may prevent proper embryo development, thrombophilia, and immunological factors. If these factors are monitored and you use donor eggs, odds of getting pregnant in cases of low ovarian reserve are high.

Read more: Pregnancy Success Rates with Donor Eggs.

Best wishes