What happens if the fertility clinic makes a mistake?
In vitro fertilization and other infertility treatments are performed thousands of times each year, and while extremely rare, mistakes have been made. Accusations have been made that clinics mishandled gametes (sperm and eggs) or embryos in specific situations. In 2001, two couples sued their fertility clinic after one woman received a vial of not only her own embryos during IVF, but also of a second family. Two fetuses began developing, one that was genetically related to the woman, and another that was related to a separate couple. While the woman wanted to keep both children, the other couple successfully sued for custody of their genetic child. Both couples sued the clinic for negligence and malpractice. Mix-ups like these are incredibly rare, but the chances of them happening have forced infertility clinics to implement a very careful and often complicated set of procedures. While having to regularly show ID and sign endless, complex consent forms sometimes seems excessive to infe
