Lexington, Ky., Couple Delivers World's First Infant Conceived From Frozen Donor Egg, USA

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 06 Jan 2006 - 4:00 PDT

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The first infant conceived using a frozen donor egg purchased from the world's first commercial egg bank was born to Wendy and Jared Kennedy on Saturday in Lexington, Ky., the Kentucky Herald-Leader reports. The Kennedys purchased the frozen donor eggs from Phoenix-based Cryo Eggs International, which began selling eggs in March and is the first company to specialize in selling frozen donor eggs. The couple -- who were CEI's second customers and the first to become pregnant and give birth -- bought seven frozen donor eggs at a cost of $2,500 each. Three eggs were successfully fertilized with Jared's sperm and implanted in Wendy on April 23, 2005, through in vitro fertilization. Using frozen donor eggs offers about a 30% chance of pregnancy compared with a 50% chance using fresh donor eggs -- which often are more expensive and sometimes require a waiting list to get -- the Herald-Leader reports. Wendy's pregnancy was normal, aside from some third-trimester complications, including preeclampsia and Bell's palsy, which temporarily paralyzes one side of the face. Wendy, who was age 41 at the time of the IVF procedure, was at higher risk of developing preeclampsia because of her age and because she became pregnant through IVF. Neither complication occurred as a result of the frozen donor eggs, according to Lisle Dalton, who delivered the infant by caesarean section. CEI's Medical Director James Akin, who treated Wendy, said, "I hope [this birth] improves the visibility" of the option of using frozen donor eggs. Akin said that two other pregnancies have resulted from CEI's frozen donor eggs (Isaacs, Lexington Herald-Leader, 1/4).

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