The birth parents had an IVF embryo created with their sperm and egg, while at the same time, the birth father had an IVF embryo created with an egg from a donor woman. These two embryos were then used for spare parts to create a third embryo, containing DNA from the intended parents but other material, including healthy mitochondrial genes, inherited from the egg donor.
According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), fewer than five such babies have been born as of 20 April 2023. The HFEA is not revealing the exact number to prevent the families from being identified.
In 2015, the Government permitted this technique to allow women who carry mitochondrial disease in their eggs to have a healthy child to whom they are in some way genetically related. The UK is the first country in the world to regulate mitochondrial donation.
Still, it is not guaranteed that the baby will not develop a mitochondrial disease in the future.
Furthermore, as Dr Greg Pike has argued, “mitochondrial replacement” techniques carry other potential adverse effects, from kinship issues to adverse changes to the “germline”, i.e. to future generations.
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “Two embryos are destroyed to create each baby, not counting those destroyed in experiments. Embryos should not be treated as disposable material or as mere ‘ingredients’ for new embryos.
“These techniques treat no one, nor do they allow affected couples to have their own genetic child in the normal sense. There are better and more respectful options than creating two embryos to take their parts to form a third.
“How will any surviving child feel when they learn the true story behind their conception?”
