Woman gives birth to another couple's child after IVF mix-up
Monash IVF, which operates more than 100 clinics across Australia, said in a statement staff were 'devastated' by the mistake, believed to be the first of its kind in Australia.
It's not clear whether either of the couples suspected a mix-up before the clinic discovered the error in February.
'On behalf of Monash IVF, I want to say how truly sorry I am for what has happened,' said CEO Michael Knaap in the statement.
'We will continue to support the patients through this extremely distressing time,' he added.
Monash IVF has not named the couples involved, nor has it responded to questions about when the baby was born, or who has custody of the child, out of respect for the couples' privacy.
The error occurred at Monash IVF's Brisbane clinic, in the state of Queensland, where the law recognizes the birth mother and her partner as the child's legal parents.
Alex Polyakov, a clinical associate professor at the University of Melbourne and a fertility consultant at Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital, said it was the first incident of its kind in four decades of IVF in Australia.
'Australia's regulatory framework for assisted reproductive technology is internationally recognized for its stringency and thoroughness,' he said in written comments.
'The probability of such an event occurring is so low that it defies statistical quantification.'
The mistake was discovered in February after the birth parents requested to transfer their remaining embryos to another IVF provider.
After an extra embryo was found in their storage compartment, an internal inquiry discovered they'd received the wrong embryo.
It's not clear how the error was made but according to the Monash IVF statement, another patient's embryo was 'incorrectly thawed and transferred to the birth parents.'
Knaap, the company's CEO, said he was confident it was 'an isolated incident.'
'We are reinforcing all our safeguards across our clinics – we also commissioned an independent investigation and are committed to implementing its recommendations in full,' he added.
The Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) said in a statement that it was 'aware of the serious incident' and its immediate thoughts were with the families affected.
It said such incidents are rare and require 'the highest standards of transparency.'
Similar errors have been made in the United States, including a recent case where a White woman discovered she'd been given the wrong embryo after giving birth to a Black infant.
This is not the first time Monash IVF has been accused of wrongdoing.
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 didn't disclose the risk of false positives in genetic testing on embryos, which led them to discard potentially viable embryos.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
3 hours ago
- UPI
Gaza City ground offensive underway, civilians flee Israeli advance
1 of 3 | Smoke rises from an airstrike on a target in Gaza on Wednesday, as seen from southern Israel, hours before the conflict entered a new phase as the Israel Defense Forces launched a ground offensive to take over Gaza City. Photo by Jim Hollander/UPI | License Photo Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Israel's military offensive to take over Gaza City got underway on Thursday, sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing from parts of the city of 1 million, according to local officials. The Israel Defense Forces embarked on the operation after advance troops were able to capture outer areas of the city under the cover of unrelenting airborne attack from airstrikes and artillery fire. Residents of the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods were on the move to areas in the city's northwest. The overnight escalation came after the military said Wednesday that Israel would "intensify the strikes on Hamas in Gaza City, the political and military stronghold of the terror organization." However, it pledged it would endeavor to avoid civilian casualties by issuing evacuation orders. The offensive by Israel, which has vowed to occupy all of Gaza City as part of a plan to capture the 25% of Gaza it does not already hold, saw U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres intervene, calling for a cease-fire and the unconditional release of hostages. "It is vital to reach immediately a cease-fire in Gaza" in order "to avoid the death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause," he said. The World Health Organization warned that the evacuation orders, amid a massive escalation in the level of violence, would only add to already "unbearable pressure" on hospitals by forcing more and more people into ever smaller areas. It said hospitals in Gaza City were already operating at almost three times their capacity as they battled to cope with a relentless stream of casualties with "complex trauma wounds." The offensive came despite a new cease-fire and a hostage-prisoner swap deal negotiated by Egypt and Qatar that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have accepted, rising domestic opposition to the war and a deepening rift with Western allies, particularly Australia, poised to recognize Palestinian statehood. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a scathing attack on his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, after far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman was banned from entering the country for a scheduled speaking tour of Sydney and Melbourne this week. Netanyahu doubled up attacks leveled at Albanese earlier in the week, telling Australian TV news channel Thursday that Albanese's reputation was "forever tarnished by the weakness that he showed in the face of these Hamas terrorist monsters." Jerusalem retaliated by announcing it would cancel the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority. Earlier, in an online post on Tuesday, Netanyahu claimed history would judge Albanese harshly. "History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews," he wrote.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Product recall issued on popular yoghurt sold at Coles, Woolworths and IGA
Cocobella, a popular Australian coconut water brand, has issued an urgent product recall for several batches of its yoghurt products due to an undeclared allergen. The 110g pouches of Cocobella Coconut Yoghurt are available for sale across the country at Coles, Woolworths and independent grocery retail stores like IGA across the country. The product recall is due to the presence of an undeclared allergen in the vegan product — milk. "Any consumers who have a milk allergy or intolerance may have a reaction if the product is consumed," a statement issued said. What products are affected? The items affected by the recall are as follows: • Cocobella Strawberry Coconut Yoghurt, 110g Pouch, Use By 12/09/2025 • Cocobella Banana Coconut Yoghurt, 110g Pouch, Use By 12/09/2025 • Cocobella Banana Coconut Yoghurt, 110g Pouch, Use By 13/09/2025 • Cocobella Mango Coconut Yoghurt, 110g Pouch, Use By 13/09/2025 RELATED: Aldi issues urgent product recall for popular winter item Product recall on milk sold at Coles, Woolworths, Aldi Recall on multiple cheese products sold at Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA The products have been available for sale in Woolworths in NSW, ACT, VIC, SA, QLD, NT and online. The products have also been sold at independent retailers, including IGA in QLD and VIC. The Cocobella Mango Coconut Yoghurt Pouch 110 g has been sold in Coles in NSW and VIC. All other products are unaffected by this recall. Cocobella products are generally meant to be dairy-free and vegan-friendly. On the business's website, they said: "Cocobella coconut yoghurt is a lactose-free and dairy-free yoghurt option that is packed with probiotics to support digestive health." The presence of milk would make the product unsuitable for vegan consumers as well as those with allergies. What should consumers do? Consumers who have purchased an affected product should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund. If you are concerned about your health, seek medical advice. Consumers can contact Cocobella on 1300 020 223, or via email at consumer@ and find out more here.
NBC News
20 hours ago
- NBC News
Her spine surgery was denied. Doctors say it's all too common.
'There's a lot of gray zone decision-making in spine surgery,' DiGiorgio said. 'You could show a patient presentation, an MRI, to five spine surgeons and get 10 different answers.' Dr. Randall Dryer, an orthopedic surgeon at Central Texas Spine Institute who treated White but did not perform her surgery, said doctors often have to make a convincing case to insurance companies. 'The insurance companies refuse to accept the fact that surgery for degenerative disease is effective. They will say it's because the medical literature doesn't support it, but they take cherry-picked articles that support their case, and they tend to downplay other literature that would indicate that surgical treatment is effective,' Dryer said. An Aetna spokesperson pointed NBC News to two published analyses that found no clear benefits from spine surgery over a nonsurgical intervention. But other studies have shown that spine surgery is superior to nonsurgical treatments, such as physical therapy or injections, and reduces a patient's disability. White's father, Wrath James White, is the policyholder for her insurance plan. He said he was shocked to receive a letter from Aetna saying their request for coverage had been denied. 'I had never had insurance reject a legitimate claim before, and my daughter's pain seemed about as legitimate as you can get,' he said. When his daughter was diagnosed, the family tried less invasive approaches than surgery such as physical therapy, steroid injections and anti-inflammatory pills. But it became clear to them — and to White's doctors — that spine surgery was the only option to alleviate her pain. 'I did everything I possibly could for four years to avoid doing surgery on her,' Dryer said. He noted in a 2022 report that White was 'miserable' and 'I could significantly improve the patient's condition with a simple decompression and discectomy,' referring to surgical procedures to remove compression on her nerves. If you are dealing with bills that seem to be out of line or a denial of coverage, care or repairs, whether for health, home or auto, please email us at Costofdenial@ A report from White's surgeon in April said she had 'failed multiple rounds of physical therapy and pain management and as such I feel she has reached a point for surgical intervention.' White's parents ultimately decided to set up a GoFundMe to raise money for the surgery. In a matter of days, they received more than $33,000 in donations — close to the amount they were quoted for White's surgery, including hospital fees, anesthesiology and doctor's fees. Wrath James White said he believes a lot of those donations were 'small and silent protests.'
