# Embryo Given To Wrong Woman



## Dee (Jan 27, 2003)

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1192867/IVF-baby-given-wrong-woman--couples-embryo-aborted.html

Another sad story


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## Caz.s (Jun 27, 2008)

This is so awful for all parties.

How can mistakes keep happening like this


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## kara76 (Dec 14, 2004)

this is my clinic and i have the upmost respect for them, ive had all my treatment there and they are fab.

i think its a shame that with all the wonderful success stoires the media only hook onto the bad ones, i suppose its a way to sell paper. a lot of people do not understand the ivf process itself and this will just make it worst


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## roze (Mar 20, 2004)

I hate to see these things happen but from a different perspective, its flies just  a little bit in the face of the HFEAs usual 'beware overseas clinics they just don't have the same standards of practice as the UK' mantra. It clearly isn't the case.  In my experience I have been much more confident in the overseas clinics I have been to than either of the three private UK clinics I went to. Mistakes do and will always happen in IVF as they do in most other aspects of medical care and indeed life, but I think its both a risk that people have to accept, but also that it is actually a very rare occurrence given the number of transfers and treatments that actually take place. When we conceived DD my partner was convinced that the clinic had made a mistake, largely because he could not believe that the tx had worked with his swimmers. Fortunately its very apparent that DD not only looks like him, she has so many of his mannerisms that she could not have observed, so they must be inherited.


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## Jane D (Apr 16, 2007)

A very sad story, particularly when you consider that because of the passage of time that it is very likely that the female partner will not be able to try again with her own eggs.  I can't imagine how she must feel at her last chance being taken from her.  I can't imagine how the other woman felt too, being implanted with the wrong embryo.  Thankfully this is exceptionally rare.


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## kara76 (Dec 14, 2004)

thankfully the couple have a child. i have to say im surprised they didn't undertake an ivf cycle in the mean time, i think i would have.

IVF itself can be a devastating experience when it fails and i can see how this would be such a massive shock but like with most of us on here you pick yourself up and try again.

this case is very rare just a shame for all parties involved.


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## Choice4 (Aug 14, 2008)

In my opinion, the lady should have had the baby and handed it to the couple, in that way she would have been a surrogate mum for them as it looks like the couple that owned the embryo have problems concieveing
Instead of aborting the baby.
I heard the couples have been paid a large some of money, but it is not the money, it is the age,egg,sperm, embryo and the womb that is important for the baby to implant

I wish both of them all the luck they need


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## kara76 (Dec 14, 2004)

can i please add the lady did NOT have an abortion a pregnancy was prevented from happening


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## Catb33 (Aug 1, 2006)

Such an awful thing to have happened. My heart goes out to both couples. 

I stupidly read down teh comments after the article - don't do it ladies. There are so many biggots out there, saying mean things and judging those of us unable to conceive naturally, I feel like sitting and crying now, but am at work so will leave it till later.


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

such a sad story for all involved but how can these things happen, it would be like giving the wrong organ to someone!


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## kat79 (Feb 9, 2009)

An extremely sad story - traumatic for the couple whose embryo was lost, and for the lady who thought that she was now "pregnant" (if only for a day) with her own child. 

Kat


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## Tina xx (Aug 30, 2006)

Choice4 said:


> In my opinion, the lady should have had the baby and handed it to the couple, in that way she would have been a surrogate mum for them as it looks like the couple that owned the embryo have problems concieveing
> Instead of aborting the baby.
> I heard the couples have been paid a large some of money, but it is not the money, it is the age,egg,sperm, embryo and the womb that is important for the baby to implant
> 
> I wish both of them all the luck they need


I'm sorry, but I had to say that I disagreed with your comment hun. I can understand your feelings, but the second lady obviously has fertility issues (either herself or her partner) or she wouldn't have been having IVF herself. I think it would have been unfair on her to have to continue and possibly become pregnant. I don't what I would have done in her shoes, but we need to think, would we have been able to carry on with the pregnancy and then hand the baby over to its biological parents? I know that I wouldn't be able to. I agree with you in wishing both parties all the luck on their journey to become parents and hope that one day, the pain they all feel isn't too bad (I know that it's something that I couldn't get over/forget) Hope that I haven't offended you  

Tina xx


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Tina xx said:


> Choice4 said:
> 
> 
> > In my opinion, the lady should have had the baby and handed it to the couple, in that way she would have been a surrogate mum for them as it looks like the couple that owned the embryo have problems concieveing
> ...


Personally, I'd of carried on with the pregnancy and handed the baby over. Mainly because I'd of wanted the other woman to do it for me if the situation was reversed. Yes it was a terrible situation, but the child in question deserved a chance.

This is just my opinion

x


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## Cozy (Jul 17, 2008)

Theres no way I could have carried on with the pregnancy and then handed it over.. no way at all. It would be pure torture for me.

I think its dreadful for all parties concerned but personally if I had been the recipient of the embryo I would also have asked for the morning after pill to prevent the pregnancy occuring, I think it would be the best thing all round.

Also, if I had been the other couple I would probably had the free go at IVF - once I had calmed down! Though I really dont know how I would feel or react if I'd had the free go and been told that my eggs were not good enough or there was some other reason why I couldnt have IVF with my own eggs and needed to have donor eggs - that really would be rubbing salt in the wounds.

Even though these things are rare, procedures need to be looked at and some improvements made at some clinics. no one should have to go through this or anything similar. IVF can be stressful enough as it is

Cozy


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2009)

I understand procedures were in place however not followed at that one point in time when two people were required to check, not just the one.  I saw the BBC report who had an embryologist from UCL on there who was very good and what he said is true - when humans are involved, then mistakes can be made.  The question was put to him about electronic tagging of the dishes etc - he countered that by saying that humans would have to put the tags on and therefore the same mistake could be made.  

On the flip side, no-one will ever know if the embryo was truly viable and would lead to a live birth although I agree she should have been given every chance of it working which will not now happen if it was the only survivor.

It must be horrible for both the families concerned however we are only human and how many of us have had a bad day at the office? I think that once I had calmed down, I think I would be asking for not one free repeat but as many as I wanted to get viable embryos.


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2009)

This is a horrendous story but I think all of us going through treatment have to put it in perspective. I work in a hospital where a lady died when she was given an epidural drug intravenously instead of into the epidural space. She died soon after from a respiratory arrest. This was also a tragic story but we need to remember all the wonderful things that all our hospitals and clinics are doing every day. Sometimes the good stuff gets pushed aside and the, thankfully rare, horror stories cloud our views of everything else. This story will not make me worry about future treatment, or trust the wonderful staff at the clinic any less.


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## chloe99 (Aug 27, 2008)

i wonder whether the poor woman who had to take the morning after pill was still able to have her fresh embryo transferred at day 5?  prob not I guess but at least she could have completed her cycle then.


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