Embryo Adoption

Many pro-life advocates are opposed to in-vitro (outside the body) fertilization and to embryo storage because "excess" embryos are often discarded or donated for stem cell research. For those of us who believe ** that human life begins at conception, this is nothing short of murder and it presents a special problem for those who, because of other medical conditions, can not get pregnant any other way.

There are currently about 500,000 embryos held in a frozen state. The majority will never be used for implantation. This leaves four possibilities for their future: 1. destroy them; 2. donate them for stem cell research, which results in number 1; 3. donate them to another family, or 4. keep them frozen, which will eventually lead back to number 1. The longest period of freezing known to have resulted in viable implantation is about ten years.

Christian couples who resort to this technique to become pregnant will have "excess" embryos over which they will have legal control. One option is making the frozen embryos available to other infertile couples; ie. embryo adoption, or FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer). This is an "adoption" because the baby is not the biological child of the second couple, but the second couple gets to experience a real pregnancy and a real birth. A failed implantation is not destroying the embryo, but is a failed attempt at pregnancy akin to a miscarriage.

Concerns are the cost (about $6000.00 per attempt), and the strong possibility of a multiple pregnancy.

One company providing this service in an explicitly Christian format is Nightlight Christian Adoptions, see www.EmbryoAdoption.org.

** (This is not just a religious faith statement. There is a solid scientific basis for the declaration that human life begins at conception. See my post on 29 July 2009. You can access the post at the "abortion" keyword at the end of this page.)