A woman in Leicester, England, died on Monday evening after a routine operation to remove eggs for IVF treatment. The woman is thought to be the first to die in the UK because of IVF-related treatment. This woman, who is yet to be named, is said to have been desperate for children and her family is naturally distraught. She returned home after the treatment but was rushed into hospital soon after because she developed complications. The Leicester Royal Infirmary has launched an investigation. [The Sun, 10 August]
Iranian doctors have overseen the birth of the country's first animal clone. The lamb that died minutes after birth was said to be the first in a long line of animal clones, perhaps leading to human clones in the future. The Iranian scientists have said that they would continue with this and other lines of genetic research (including embryonic stem cells), and that this experiment had proved extremely useful. [The Scotsman, 10 August]
The Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Catholics has written a pastoral letter to his flock informing them that it is the duty of Catholic couples to have children, and they should not consider children an unnecessary burden. Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Cardinal Archbishop of Ernarkulam, India has said that the family is a very special gift, one that allows humanity to mimic and experience heavenly joys, "Family is the arena where heavenly mysteries are lived out. Family meals in our homes should become similar to the commemoration of the Last Supper of our Lord". The Cardinal also warned against the great temptation to spend extravagantly on marriage ceremonies. [The Indian Catholic, 8 August]
A leading American bioethicist has said that all women should be paid for egg donation. Dr. Insoo Hyun, of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, said that the time, effort, and energy expended in the act are so great that women should expect to be paid for it. He said that the situation should be the same as for medical research trials, that the participants are paid according to the amount of discomfort, and pain they endure; not to mention that women risk ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome. [The Times, 10 August]