A leading Australian IVF provider has issued a public apology after a woman gave birth to another couple바카라s child due to a devastating embryo mix-up, which the clinic attributed to "human error."
Monash IVF, which operates over 100 clinics nationwide, described the incident as 바카라deeply distressing바카라 and said staff were 바카라devastated바카라 by the mistake, believed to be the first of its kind reported in Australia.
바카라I want to express my sincere apology on behalf of Monash IVF,바카라 CEO Michael Knaap said in a statement. 바카라We are truly sorry for what has occurred and remain committed to supporting the patients involved during this extremely difficult time.바카라
The clinic has not disclosed the identities of the couples affected, nor has it answered questions regarding the baby바카라s date of birth or current custody arrangements, citing respect for the families바카라 privacy.
The incident occurred at the Monash IVF clinic in Brisbane, Queensland, where local laws recognize the woman who gives birth바카라and her partner바카라as the legal parents of the child, regardless of genetic parentage.
It remains unclear whether either couple suspected a mistake before the clinic discovered the error. The mix-up came to light in February, when the birth parents requested a transfer of their remaining embryos to a different fertility provider. During the process, an extra embryo was found in their storage unit, triggering an internal investigation.
That inquiry revealed that another patient바카라s embryo had been mistakenly thawed and transferred to the woman who later gave birth.
While the clinic has not explained the specific cause of the error, Knaap emphasized it was an 바카라isolated incident.바카라
바카라We are strengthening all our safety protocols across our clinics and have commissioned an independent investigation. We are fully committed to implementing all of its recommendations,바카라 he said.
The Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) acknowledged the incident in a public statement, expressing concern for the families involved and underscoring the importance of transparency in such rare but serious cases.
Internationally, similar errors have occurred. In one recent U.S. case, a White woman gave birth to a Black baby and later discovered she had received the wrong embryo.
This is not the first time Monash IVF has faced scrutiny over its practices, though this latest incident represents a significant breach in patient trust.
Last year, the company agreed to pay 56 million Australian dollars ($35 million) to settle a class action suit brought by 700 former patients.
The patients alleged the company didn바카라t disclose the risk of false positives in genetic testing on embryos, which led them to discard potentially viable embryos.
