Two couples from California have gone through the unimaginable: During an in vitro fertilization, the embryos were mixed up. Now a couple is suing the fertility clinic.
Los Angeles – A couple in California, who gave birth to the baby of strange parents after an embryo mix-up, go to court against a fertility clinic.
The couple from Los Angeles tearfully described the “trauma” they had experienced in front of the press on Monday. With the lawsuit, they also wanted to draw attention to common mishaps, negligence and lack of control in the artificial insemination business, said their lawyer Adam Wolf.
After in vitro fertilization with the help of a clinic in Los Angeles, the couple had a baby girl in September 2019. He immediately had doubts because the baby had much darker skin and jet black hair, said the father. They fell in love with the newborn, but the doubts remained. A genetic test two months later revealed that it was not her biological child. After a mix-up, her embryo was transplanted into another couple whose baby was born a week later.
“Nightmare that will haunt a lifetime”
The babies were four months old when both couples swapped in January 2020, each receiving their biological children back. “I gave birth to this strange baby, breastfed and loved it, and then I had to give it up,” said the mother tearfully. At the same time, she missed the first few months of her own child’s life. This was also traumatic for her then five-year-old daughter, who suddenly had to give up her little sister for another baby. “This is a nightmare that our family will haunt for a lifetime,” said the father.
The lawyers insist on compensation for emotional trauma and compensation for financial expenses in the lawsuit. The second couple concerned also wanted to file a lawsuit, said attorney Adam Wolf. dpa
