Sperm Bank Comes Under Scrutiny After Couple's Baby is Born a Different Race
After an IVF mix-up resulted in a couple having two children from entirely different racial backgrounds, the largest sperm bank in Britain has come under investigation from health officials.
A gay couple who already had one child conceived via in-vitro fertilization wanted to have a second baby that was a biological sibling by using sperm from the same donor. But apparently the clinic used the wrong sperm, because the child was born an entirely different race and is completely unrelated.
The parents are said to be "devastated" by the mistake.
"The damage to the younger child in the future, to the siblings and the family unit could be quite catastrophic," their lawyer Caron Heyes told The (London) Sunday Times.
As a result, the agency that regulates IVF clinics in the UK has launched an investigation into London Women's Clinic, where the procedure took place. According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, "Our primary concern is for the patients involved and their confidentiality."
More than 13,000 babies are born every year in the UK from IVF treatment.
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