Despite Calls for a Moratorium, More ‘Three-Parent’ Babies Expected Soon

At least 10 babies have been born to apparently infertile women as a result of a controversial in vitro fertilization procedure that involves combining a mother’s egg with a donor one. The technique is often referred to as “three-person IVF” because the baby ends up with DNA from three people — the mother, the father, and an egg donor.

One of the births was reported in April by a Greek clinic performing the procedure, also known as mitochondrial replacement therapy, or mitochondrial donation. Now, fertility experts in Europe are calling for a moratorium on using the technique for women who have struggled to conceive.

The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) has issued a statement urging “extreme caution” on the use of mitochondrial replacement for cases of infertility. The organization, which represents 8,000 clinicians and scientists, says there’s not enough evidence to show that it produces higher live-birth rates than conventional IVF. However, OneZero has learned that despite the group’s recommendation, the Greek clinic, as well as another center in Ukraine, will continue to offer the procedure —... see more