Mothers using donor eggs have a lower confidence in their parenting abilities, study states
| Updated: Oct 15, 2018, 12:36 IST
A study conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge found "subtle yet meaningful differences" in the ways egg donor mothers interacted with their children, compared to mothers who had children using their own eggs. Also, they stated that mothers who gave birth using donor eggs reacted more sensitively to their babies.
The team of scientists interviewed 85 families who'd conceived using egg donation and 65 families who had children through the mother's own eggs. During interviews, mothers who used a donor's eggs were more likely to express a lack of confidence in their own parenting ability, the research paper said. "Egg donation mothers were responding slightly less sensitively and they were structuring their play slightly less" than mothers who had used their own eggs as part of in-vitro fertilization, the study's lead author, Susan Imrie, a research associate at the University of Cambridge, told a leading news portal. "The main takeaway is that the parents and babies are doing well," said Imrie. "Although we did find these subtle difference in the play task, egg donor mums and IVF mums did look more similar than different," Imrie added.
"These mums have no need to worry any more than they do already any more than they do already about themselves or their children," Lee, director of the Centre for Parenting Culture Studies at the University of Kent, added. "Overall, it's wonderful that technology allows women and men who otherwise would not be able to, to have children, and society would do well to keep its eye on this, rather than anything else," Lee concluded.
The team of scientists interviewed 85 families who'd conceived using egg donation and 65 families who had children through the mother's own eggs. During interviews, mothers who used a donor's eggs were more likely to express a lack of confidence in their own parenting ability, the research paper said. "Egg donation mothers were responding slightly less sensitively and they were structuring their play slightly less" than mothers who had used their own eggs as part of in-vitro fertilization, the study's lead author, Susan Imrie, a research associate at the University of Cambridge, told a leading news portal. "The main takeaway is that the parents and babies are doing well," said Imrie. "Although we did find these subtle difference in the play task, egg donor mums and IVF mums did look more similar than different," Imrie added.
"These mums have no need to worry any more than they do already any more than they do already about themselves or their children," Lee, director of the Centre for Parenting Culture Studies at the University of Kent, added. "Overall, it's wonderful that technology allows women and men who otherwise would not be able to, to have children, and society would do well to keep its eye on this, rather than anything else," Lee concluded.
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