IVF Fail
Bad bad propaganda for the hospital.
A Singapore couple have discovered that their baby conceived through in-vitro fetilisation (IVF) is not biologically theirs – the child’s DNA does not match the father’s.
The Straits Times reported that the couple – a Singaporean Chinese woman and her Caucasian permanent resident husband – were first suspicious when they noticed that their newborn baby’s complexion was noticeably different from theirs.
They were told by doctors at Thomson Fertility Centre – where they sought their IVF treatment – that the baby has type B blood, whereas their blood types are O and A.
It is not possible for a baby to have a different blood group from its parents, say doctors. The baby should have either blood type O or A not B.
The couple’s lawyer, S. Palaniappan told AFP, “They discovered it a few days after the birth of the baby. They wereinformed by the paediatrician that the baby’s blood group is B,” he said.
“So they were a bit surprised because the mother is O and the father is A. Biologically it’s not possible when you have such a combination.”
Raising concerns, the parents and baby then went through a DNA test, which showed that the baby has the mother’s DNA make-up, but not the father’s.
The couple now want answers from the Thomson Fertility Centre and have also sought legal advice.
Palaniappan said his clients, who are looking after the baby, have already informed the Ministry of Health (MOH) about the matter.
MOH is investigating the matter.
