Environmental Effects on Embryo using Donor Egg: Epigenetics

Epigenetics is certainly not a new term in the science world, but groundbreaking studies about this theory have occurred during the past two years.  Epigenetics suggests that gene function is able to be changed by more than just DNA sequences.  For those of us needing donor egg this is the type of information we long to hear.  

The environment for an embryo is the biological mother's uterus.  She is carrying the baby, so what she is exposed to is, of course, part of the environment, but her genetics are also part of the embryo's environment.  All the blood flowing through the baby's body while in development is from his/her biological mother.  Gene expression (personality, physical features, etc) in the embryo start from the genetics provided by the egg donor and the sperm donor (in my case my husband), but they evolve and are shaped by the genes, hormones, metabolism, etc from the biological mother (that's me).  All told, I think this information is pretty amazing... I love that even though we had to use an egg donor to become pregnant, my body was still more than effective in making sure my daughter looks, acts and feels the way she does.  So basically, my daughter is as awesome as she is because of me.  Check out these websites for some information about gene expression and environmental effects on embryos. 

Egg Donation Recipients FAQs
My favorite part is the graph at the end of the FAQs section, which looks like this -->
Research determines that the female egg 
accounts for 25% of the final outcome of a child. 

I love this FAQ section from the GiftOVLife website.  The website is from the self proclaimed leading and premier egg donor program in South African.  The program works with both South Africans and international recipients. Their online database has over 200 quality egg donor angels ensuring no waiting period for a donor.  The facts section provides information to the recipients that is mostly general, but has some great points about how genes from the biological/birth mother/recipient effect the embryo in more ways than maybe you'd expect.  

Nature.com suggests that Gene Expression is  influenced by the environment, including the organism's internal world where it develops. These affect how an organism develops and functions.  Read more about it here.

This blurb about Epigenetics indicates that research findings supports the idea that mothers using donor egg are influencing the development of their future baby. 

And from the blog community about Epigenetics...
My Path To Mommyhood
Parents Via Egg Donation
From Damaged To Donor

Credits: Karen C. for sending me a link to the GiftOVLife FAQs page where I first learned about Epigenetics.