Aggregated News
Hundreds of British couples could have children that are biologically theirs living with other parents around Europe or across the world without knowing, it has emerged.
A Spanish clinic runs an 'embryo adoption scheme' where spare embryos are donated to other women if the couple who created them do not know what they want to do with them or do not respond to correspondence from the clinic.
Furthermore, anonymity rules in Spain means the resulting children cannot trace their biological parents or vice versa. The scheme would be illegal in Britain as patients must give their explicit consent to their embryos being adopted, or used in research or destroyed. Also in Britain the offspring can trace their biological parents and siblings once they turn 18.
The situation has highlighted the risks of travelling abroad for fertility treatment where different laws apply.
But despite this, ever increasing numbers of patients are going to foreign clinics, normally for treatment with donor eggs or sperm, which are more readily available.
Embryo donation is relatively rare in Britain with most couples choosing to store...
