Mums who use donor eggs take longer to bond with their baby

Genetic link is a factor

WOMEN who use donor eggs to conceive can find it harder to bond with their babies, scientists have discovered.

Mothers were less sensitive to their babies’ smiles and eye contact while the tots were less likely to involve their mums by holding out toys, the study found.

The Cambridge University team, who filmed 150 families playing with their babies aged six to 18 months, suggest the lack of a genetic link is a factor. But they found the bond builds over time. Co-author Dr Susan Imrie said: rise“Some women are still finding their feet as egg donation mothers and this can be challenging. A The number of babies born from donor eggs in small number 2016 – a threefold told us not from the 438 in 1996 having a genetic

link with their child took some time to get their head around.”

The study said women who used donor eggs were not as good at structuring play activities and their kids were less responsive.

But the women’s feelings for their babies were the same.

Fertility expert Stuart Lavery, from Imperial College London, said: “This is an important study.”

Donor eggs were pioneered in the 80s. More than 1,400 babies in the UK were born from donor eggs in 2016, up from 438 in 1996.