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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

IVF Mix up ! Surely not?

28 replies

HJWT · 08/07/2019 19:00

Heres the link - www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48908133

(Prays it works)

An asian couple give birth to two baby boys that don't look like them at all! Not to mention they were meant to be two girls!!

DNA proved they were not related to the babies and that the boys weren't even related to EACH OTHER

AIBU to think how the f..k does this happen in 2018/19

OP posts:
ReganSomerset · 08/07/2019 19:05

Tbh I'm surprised it's not happened more and suspect it has, but without the telltale ethnicity mismatch it's probably gone undetected.

TheCatDidSay · 08/07/2019 19:06

Would t be the first time. Doubt it will be the last.

When you are artificially making something mistakes will happen. Data will be moved and inputted incorrectly etc. Human error/tech issues.

habibihabibi · 08/07/2019 19:07

It would not surprise me if many more IVF babies are not genetically related to their parents . There are significant margins for error in the process.

HJWT · 08/07/2019 19:08

@habibihabibi god I bet so many people in the US who used this company are now panicking !

OP posts:
GreenTulips · 08/07/2019 19:11

What will happen to the babies? I’m surprised they have them up after carrying them full term.

I hope their ‘real’ parents take them in.

Gamble66 · 08/07/2019 19:11

There have been I suppose you would say 'insider' rumours for years that some of the more successful clinics use eggs/sperm from non related scources to bolster results when the parents own are of poor quality - which is obviously very common by the nature of the procedure

Teddybear45 · 08/07/2019 19:14

We don’t know the full story. It’s very possible they chose to use donated embryos from another Asian couple but were given the wrong set which is why they gave them up. There are very strict rules regarding the storage of embryos collected by egg collection in the US, but the storage of donated embryos can be lax.

progestermoan · 08/07/2019 19:18

Goodness how dreadful. I couldn’t have given them up though. Going through pregnancy and Giving birth to one baby let alone two is huge I wouldn’t have been able to relinquish them but that’s just me.
Can’t begin to imagine what the couple must be going through

GreenGrowTheRushesOhh · 08/07/2019 19:34

Absolutely no judgement on the relinquishing parents and nothing but sympathy for what they're going through, but I also have to think of the babies - through no fault of their own they've lost the mother whose smell and voice they know.

Again that's not a comment on the parents. Just awful that a careless error can cause such heartbreak to adults and also trauma to newborns. Sad all round.

Mummyoflittledragon · 08/07/2019 19:38

How awful! My dd is the product of ivf. She’s definitely not a mix up. I cannot imagine how these people must feel.

Mummyoflittledragon · 08/07/2019 19:39

Poor babies.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 08/07/2019 19:40

I find it beyond heart breaking that they were forced to give the babies to
their genetic parents. Regardless of whether or not they were biologically theirs this women or had carried these babies loved and nurtured and formed attachments to them.
I find it very cruel that they have been separated.
However I do wonder how the biological parents are feeling.
Bitter- because of the time they've missed with their biologic children.
Over whelmed-. Although its something they have longed It must have been a shock to be told. You have 2 babies, that you didn't even know existed.
Delighted- (They must feel like they've won the lottery with out buying a ticket.)

FrogFairy · 08/07/2019 19:56

I wonder if their embryos are still in storage, have been discarded or implanted into another lady?

nespressowoo · 08/07/2019 20:19

Absolutely heartbreaking.

I could become a surrogate because I just don't think I have it it me. I am always in awe of ladies who do this, even if it isn't their egg. I couldn't hand over a baby if I had been pregnant with them and gone through labour. Again, ladies who do this are incredible. This woman must be absolutely heartbroken.

These poor babies though and the poor parents. I can't even begin to imagine it. The babies aren't even related. Imagine if their genetic parents have already had a baby and are faced with this. Unthinkable really.

Gingerkittykat · 08/07/2019 20:40

I wonder if they will be able to trace who the babies are related to, if donated embryos then will the bio parents want them?

Where are the couple's embryos? Were they used to create a different pregnancy?

Travis1 · 08/07/2019 20:52

Those poor children and that poor couple. How sad all round

U2HasTheEdge · 09/07/2019 06:08

I find it beyond heart breaking that they were forced to give the babies to
their genetic parents

Were they? I didn't read that in the article?

DownUdderer · 09/07/2019 06:59

How many unknown cock ups have there been?

Lifeover · 09/07/2019 07:08

Read in another article that the biological parents got custody of the babies. Absolutely heartbreaking for all concerned! But yes I suspect this is far more common that we realise

BogglesGoggles · 09/07/2019 07:14

NIPT really should be standard in IVF pregnancies. Although you would wonder what people would do if they found out while pregnant that they’ve been given the wrong embryo. Maybe that’s why they don’t do it.

myholycow · 09/07/2019 07:26

and although I have no direct knowledge of the processes with IVF & genetics, will these twin babies have any knowledge (please help - not sure what this correct description should be) of being in-utero with their twin when they are much older.

As in the sense, that twins that have been separated at birth for various reasons, long time ago - & genetically related - have at times been reported as knowing something was missing during their childhood etc.

SerenDippitty · 09/07/2019 07:43

Were they forced to give them up? In most countries whoever has carried and given birth to the child(ren) is the legal mother. This is why surrrogacy arrangements can come unstuck if the surrogate decides to keep the child.

Regarding

There have been I suppose you would say 'insider' rumours for years that some of the more successful clinics use eggs/sperm from non related scources to bolster results when the parents own are of poor quality - which is obviously very common by the nature of the procedure

I would not be surprised. The desperation of infertile couples makes them very vulnerable to exploitation. The UK has the most strictly regulated fertility sector in the world but even here there has been at least one case where sperm were mixed up and a white couple had black babies.

JocastaJones · 09/07/2019 07:54

I am not surprised at that either and it's something I've wondered. Some clinics abroad guarantee you a pregnancy or your money back.

Teddybear45 · 09/07/2019 08:59

I would be shocked if the couple were forced to give up the babies. Asian people often don’t like having darker skinned children anyway - my guess is if the kids were white or Asian they would have been kept regardless of parentage.

Stressedout10 · 09/07/2019 09:23

I could be wrong but I'm sure that I remember reading somewhere that because of surrogacy laws in the states the biological parents have automatic rights to the children not the women who carried them.

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