Legal Definitions - embryo adoption

Embryo adoption is a type of adoption where a couple adopts an embryo that was created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and implanted into the woman's uterus to carry to term. This is different from traditional adoption where a child is adopted after birth.

Embryo adoption is often chosen by couples who struggle with infertility and want to experience pregnancy and childbirth. It is also a way for couples who have remaining embryos from their own IVF treatments to give them a chance at life instead of discarding them.

For example, a couple who has completed their family through IVF may have remaining embryos that they do not want to discard. They can choose to donate these embryos to another couple for adoption.

Another example is a couple who cannot conceive naturally and have exhausted other fertility treatments. They may choose to adopt an embryo and carry it to term.

Embryo adoption creates a parent-child relationship between the adoptive parents and the child that is born. The child is genetically related to the biological parents who donated the embryo, but legally and emotionally, the child belongs to the adoptive parents.