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PETBioNewsNewsJudge reveals twins' mix-up clinic

BioNews

Judge reveals twins' mix-up clinic

Published 9 June 2009 posted in News and appears in BioNews 182

Author

BioNews

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.

Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, head of the Family Division of the UK's High Court, has made a statement about the case of a white woman who gave birth to mixed-race twins after a mistake at an IVF clinic earlier this year. Dame Butler-Sloss has been examining the legal issues raised by...

Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, head of the Family Division of the UK's High Court, has made a statement about the case of a white woman who gave birth to mixed-race twins after a mistake at an IVF clinic earlier this year.


Dame Butler-Sloss has been examining the legal issues raised by the case, including paternity and custody. Genetic tests had already established that the white woman who gave birth to the twins is also their genetic mother. But, during IVF treatment using ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection), which both couples underwent on the same day, her eggs had been fertilised with the wrong sperm.


The clinic at the centre of the row over the twins has been named as the Assisted Conception Unit at Leeds General Infirmary, although the two couples involved are still being given total anonymity. Dame Butler-Sloss also revealed that the black couple involved remain childless, although she stressed that there was no suggestion that the twins should be uprooted from their 'happy and loving environment' with the white couple, known as Mr and Mrs A. A spokesman for the Leeds hospital said 'the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust deeply regrets the anguish suffered by all those affected by the error' and offered 'unreserved apologies' to both of the couples.


The next stage of proceedings - a decision on the legal parentage of the twins - will take place early next year, after which 'both Mr and Mrs A and Mr and Mrs B will need time to reflect upon whether they seek any assistance about other matters from the Family Division', said Dame Butler-Sloss. She added that the impact of both the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act and the Human Rights Act 1998 would be considered in relation to the 'unprecedented' and 'complex' case.

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Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
Comment
7 September 2015 • 5 minutes read

The Ohio sperm mix-up: What's the harm in giving birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl?

by Dr Antony Starza-Allen

A claim filed against an Ohio sperm bank for using the wrong sperm donor leading to a woman giving birth to 'a beautiful, obviously mixed race, baby girl' ignited a furore because of race...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
Comment
18 June 2009 • 4 minutes read

Three cases show parenthood rules need revising

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While one might have sympathy for Natallie Evans and Lorraine Hadley because the UK's High Court has ruled they cannot use the embryos they have in frozen storage, it is hard to criticise the legal decision in this case. Mr Justice Wall followed the letter of the law on consent...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
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9 June 2009 • 3 minutes read

Couple speak out about IVF mistake

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A British couple have spoken to the press about the 'nightmare' they have gone through since a mistake was made during treatment they received at a Leeds fertility clinic six years ago. This is the first time the couple have spoken publicly about their situation, despite...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

US woman receives $1m compensation for IVF error

by BioNews

An American woman who had the wrong embryo transferred to her uterus during IVF treatment has agreed to compensation of $1 million with the doctor who performed the procedure. Susan Buchweitz had the IVF treatment at Fertility Associates of the Bay Area clinic in San Francisco, California in 2000, which...

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