Donor conception from the viewpoint of the child: positives, negatives, and promoting the welfare of the child

Abstract

Use of donor egg and donor sperm has made parenthood a possibility for many who could not achieve it through natural conception. The use of donor gametes may also permit prospective parents to mitigate a number of health problems for the hoped-for child. Promoting the welfare of the hoped-for child, however, includes not only the consideration of good physical health but also necessitates consideration of psychological, emotional, and social well-being. This paper will review the impact of donor conception from the viewpoint of the resulting child including the psychological, emotional, and social well-being of donor-conceived children. It will discuss the topic of disclosure and closely consider the expansion of donor conception to older parents from the viewpoint of the child.

Keywords: Donor conception; ethics; parental ag; third party reproduction; welfare of the child.