This nightmare IVF mixup makes us wonder: Are there enough checks and balances in fertility clinics?
Key Takeaways
Industry Buzz
"This is something that actually happens, and it's devastating, and it can ruin someone's life, and realize that it is an actual possibility." — Krystena Murray, patient, ABC News
“Strict regulations ensure ethical practices and confidentiality. Legal agreements, prioritizing health, [and] compatibility ensure successful pregnancy outcomes.” — Christy Lane, PhD, co-founder of Flora Fertility
Find more of your peers' perspectives and insights below.
Krystena Murray of Savannah, GA, received IVF treatment from Coastal Fertility Specialists (CFS) in 2023. According to Murray, who is white, she selected a sperm donor whose coloring closely matched her own: blonde hair and blue eyes. In December 2023, she delivered a baby boy who appeared to be Black. Believing that CFS had implanted someone else's embryo, Murray requested a DNA test.[]
The test confirmed the baby Murray delivered wasn’t related to her. CFS alerted the boy’s biological parents of the mixup. The couple sued Murray for custody of the infant. After 5 months of raising the baby as her son, Murray lost custody. She has not seen him since; Murray has now filed suit against CFS.
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Are these things common?
Horror stories similar to Marray’s occasionally make headlines: In an especially sensational 1995 case, Dr. Ricardo Asch of the University of California, Irvine’s Center for Reproductive Health was accused of IVF nonconsensual egg retrieval leading to the birth of 15 children to the “wrong” mothers.[] Outside of extreme cases, mixups can occur from simple human error. Mixups can also happen when safety protocols aren’t followed.
“Strict regulations ensure ethical practices and confidentiality. Legal agreements, prioritizing health, [and] compatibility ensure successful pregnancy outcomes,” Christy Lane, PhD, co-founder of Flora Fertility, tells MDLinx.
Thankfully, these incidents are extremely rare. Data shows that over 99% of IVF procedures occur without error. In fact, IVF is one of the most regulated industries in the United States.
A study looking at IVF procedures found that, out of 2.5 million procedures performed between 2009 and 2019, only 133 resulted in errors that led to lawsuits. Of those errors, 87 were caused by two documented freezer tank failures occurring in 2018 and 2019.[]
On a daily basis, clinics have procedures in place to avoid mistakes.
“Strict regulations ensure ethical practices and confidentiality. Legal agreements, prioritizing health and compatibility, ensure successful pregnancy outcomes,” Christy Lane, PhD, co-founder of Flora Fertility, said. “Clinics use comprehensive screening for donors, including genetic testing, infectious disease screening, and psychological evaluations.”
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