Australia: Woman gives birth to stranger’s baby in embryo mix-up

A woman in Australia has given birth to another couple’s baby following a critical error at a fertility clinic in Brisbane, where the wrong embryo was implanted during IVF treatment.

The incident, which occurred at Monash IVF in Queensland, has been attributed to human error, according to Australian media. 

The clinic has since launched an internal investigation and notified regulators.

“On behalf of Monash IVF, I want to say how truly sorry I am for what has happened,” CEO Michael Knaap said, adding that everyone at the fertility clinic was “devastated” at the mistake.

The error came to light in February when the birth parents requested that their remaining frozen embryos be transferred to another clinic. 

It was then that staff discovered an embryo from another patient had been mistakenly thawed and implanted into the wrong woman, resulting in the birth of a child.

The clinic has assured that this was an isolated case. Mr Knaap said Monash IVF activated its crisis management team upon discovering the error and began meeting with affected patients within a week to apologise and offer support. 

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The incident has also been reported to regulatory bodies, including the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee and Queensland’s new assisted reproductive technology regulator.

This is not the first time Monash IVF has faced controversy. Last year, the clinic reached a A$56 million (£26.8 million) settlement with 700 former patients after embryos were destroyed based on inaccurate genetic testing. 

Investigations revealed that around 35% of the embryos deemed abnormal were, in fact, viable and could have led to successful pregnancies.

IVF, or in vitro fertilisation, is a complex and costly process where eggs are removed from a woman’s ovaries, fertilised in a lab, and then implanted in the uterus once they become embryos. 

Despite advancements, the treatment does not always lead to pregnancy.

According to the University of New South Wales, more than 20,000 babies were born via IVF in Australia and New Zealand in 2021.

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