The Mistake

IVF (In vitro fertilization) has been successfully proven method of treatment for infertility. It gave new hopes for childless couples to have their own precious special gifts and I was one of the lucky one who benefited from the treatment.

It was still freshed in my mind, I was disbelieved when the nurse from Gleaneagles Hospital broke the promising news to me confirming that I was pregnant (probably multiple pregnancy as my HGL level reading was over 200).

I just couldn't explain my emotions at that time. Excited, happy, unbelievable and grateful were all mixed up as I had underwent series of unsuccessful fertility treatments earlier.

The news really brought happiness to my husband. He was the one who experienced all the morning sickness for few days...Alhamdulillah, finally our prayer was answered after been waiting for 8 years...

However, I was chilled after when through the StarTwo today, "Seeds of Doubt" by Maggie O' Farrel. It was reported that around 12 500 babies a year are born in Britain as a result of IVF.

However, humans are imperfect. A lot of IVF errors were reported as the frozen embryos in petri dishes were mixed up and ended up to wrong couples. The mistakes had put the unfortunate couples to go through the unnecessary emotional stress and grievances besides had to go through the stressful treatment.

Here, were few cases reported related to the incidents.

1. Carolyn Savage from Ohio, US handed over her baby to its biological parents. She had been implanted with the wrong embryo after a mix-up at a fertility clinic.

2. A couple from Cardiff, Wales were told that their last remaining frozen embryo had been mistakenly implanted in another woman, who had since had it aborted.

3. A white Northern Irish couple had given birth to a mixed-race baby, after being given the wrong sperm.

4. A Californian woman was awarded US1mil in 2004 after a fertility specialist gave her the wrong embryo and hid the mistake until the baby was 10 months old.

5. A white New Yorker gave birth to a black baby in 1998, sparkling complex, two-year wrangle between the couples for visitation rights.

Hopefully, more stringent procedures should be enforced by the fertility clinics and only reputable clinics should be allowed to carry out the procedures.

I concurred and sympathised with the unlucky couples who suffered as the process of going through the string of infertility treatments were taxing both financially and emotionally.

Also, childless couples are also bound to receive pressures from relatives and concerned societies of the conditions 'state of the art'...