More Women Using Donated Eggs and With Better Results, Study Finds

More and more women are relying on donated eggs to become pregnant and to better outcomes, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"The prevalence of oocyte donation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) has increased in the United States, but little information is available regarding maternal or infant outcomes to improve counseling and clinical decision making," the researchers write.

The new report, led by scientists from Emory University and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looks at 443 clinics, or 93 percent of all US fertility centers, between 2000 and 2010.

During this time, the annual number of donor oocyte cycles -- when a woman uses another woman's egg in an effort to become pregnant -- increased from 10,801 to 18,306. The mean age for the donor and recipient remained stable, however, at 28 years old and 41 years old respectively.

The ideal result, characterized as a single baby born on time and at a healthy weight, rose from 19 percent to 25 percent during this 10-year period. A total of 56 percent resulted in a live birth in 2010, most of whom were healthy. Thirty-seven percent were twins and many were born prematurely and at low birth rates.

The average age at which women give birth to their first baby has risen steadily over the years. As of 2009, the mean age in the United States was 25.2, while the mean age for Germany and Britain was 30, according to the study.

This delay in childbearing can be problematic, the researchers explain, since "Reproductive potential declines with advancing female age, and current technology using autologous oocytes remains limited by the ovarian 'biological clock.'"