11.04.2025 12:21
A terrible mistake was made at a major IVF center in Australia. As a result of the mix-up of embryos, a woman unknowingly gave birth to another couple's baby. The center apologized to the woman, stating that the confusion was due to "human error."
Monash IVF, one of Australia's leading IVF centers, made an incredible mistake at its clinic in Brisbane. The IVF center announced that a woman was accidentally transferred another family's embryo and gave birth to someone else's baby.
GAVE BIRTH TO SOMEONE ELSE'S BABY
According to a report by CNN International, the scandal emerged when the biological parents who had a child in February requested the transfer of their remaining embryos to another IVF center. Monash IVF stated in its announcement, "Contrary to the expected number of embryos, there was an extra embryo in storage that did not belong to the biological parents." Following investigations, the clinic confirmed that an embryo taken from another woman was mistakenly thawed and transferred to the uterus of the woman who gave birth.
"HUMAN ERROR"
The IVF center apologized to the woman who gave birth to someone else's baby and stated that the mix-up was a "human error." The center said that the staff was "devastated" due to the mistake, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the country. Within a week of the incident, the couple who had a child was informed. Monash IVF CEO Michael Knaap expressed their sorrow over the mistake and stated that they would continue to support their patients. Knaap said, "We are all deeply saddened by this situation, and we apologize to everyone affected by this incident."
Monash IVF, respecting the privacy of the couples, did not disclose the names of the couples involved, nor did it answer questions about when the baby was born or who has custody of the child.
"NO LEGAL PRECEDENT"
Knaap stated, "We have no legal precedent for this in Australia. Our laws assume that biological parents are the legal parents of a child, but this can be contested when genetic parents do not allow the use of their embryos." The incident was also reported to Queensland's Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee.
In August 2023, Monash IVF had also reached a $56 million settlement with over 700 of its former patients due to faulty genetic testing. In this class action lawsuit, it was alleged that approximately 35% of the embryos tested by the company were genetically abnormal. Monash IVF emphasized that while an agreement was reached, they did not accept any responsibility.