Research in this area has been prompted by the fact that an increasing number of women are using donor eggs to become mothers, often at a fairly mature age.
In 2016, about 1,400 children were born from donor eggs, which is three times more than in 1996. The study involved 85 families who used donor eggs for IVF and 65 families who used their own eggs to conceive.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge found that women who do not have a genetic bond with their offspring show “small but noticeable” differences in how they interact with their child.
However, they stated that all parents in the study expressed love for their children and had a strong bond with them.
Parents and children were asked to participate in a 10-minute game, and the parents' actions were rated on a 29-point scale.
The researchers assessed parent-child interactions in four dimensions of the relationship: whether the parents were responsive to the needs of their children, how well they helped their children to play, whether they were too zealous about it, and, finally, whether there was some kind of hostility towards the child.
They also looked at how 11-month-olds interacted with their parents, including how they looked, smiled, and chatted with them.
All parents received high marks, showing that they are emotionally connected with their babies.
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However, donor mothers were slightly less sensitive and were less involved in playing with their children.
Egg donor babies also involved mothers a little less in their games.
The fathers of both groups interacted with their children in exactly the same way.
The researchers concluded that: Families with children from donated eggs generally function well during infancy, but there may be small but significant differences in the relationship between mother and infant.”
Stuart Lavery, a fertility expert at Imperial College London, said: "This is an important study that suggests there might be some differences in the quality of parent-child relationships between egg donor families and regular families."
The study will be presented at a conference of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Denver, Colorado.
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