Pregnancy following in vitro fertilisation of an anonymously donated oocyte in a patient with premature ovarian failure.

Since the first successful birth in 1978 following in vitro fertilisation (IVF), this has become established treatment for infertility and is available at more than thirty centres in the United Kingdom. Oocyte donation has extended the use of IVF technology for conditions where a genetic abnormality exists or where repeated attempts at IVF have failed to achieve fertilisation. In cases where the ovaries are absent or have failed prematurely, the procedure can be combined with steroid replacement therapy to maintain a successful pregnancy. Donated oocytes have been obtained from relatives and friends, but more recently it has been recommended that the donor should remain anonymous. The following case report is of the first such pregnancy achieved in Northern Ireland.