CENTER SAYING THEY ROBBED THEM OF A CHANCE TO BRING THEIR OWN
BABY INTO THE WORLD.
>> FOR A COUPLE IN CALIFORNIA,
THE DREAM OF A BIGGER FAMILY
TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE WHEN
THEIR FERTILITY CLINIC GAVE THEM
UNIMAGINABLE NEWS.
UNIMAGINABLE NEWS. >> SHE SAID, YES, A WOMAN GAVE
BIRTH TO TWINS AND ONE OF THEM
IS YOURS.
IS YOURS. >> THEY SAY A MIX-UP AFTER A
PROMINENT FERTILITY CLINIC L.A.
LED TO THEIR EGG BEING PLANTED
IN A NEW YORK WOMAN.
THAT WOMAN GAVE BIRTH TO TWO
BOYS IN MARCH.
THEIR SON AND A BOY BELONGING TO
AN UNIDENTIFIED THIRD COUPLE.
>> I WASN’T THERE FOR HIS BIRTH.
I DIDN’T CARRY HIM.
I DIDN’T FEEL HIM KICK INSIDE OF
ME.
ME. >> THE PARENTS NOT ABLE TO MEET
THEIR BABY BOY UNTIL HE WAS SIX
WEEKS OLD.
WEEKS OLD. >> NOBODY SHOULD MEET THEIR BABY
IN A LOBBY OF A HOTEL.
>> SHE AND HER HUSBAND ARE SUING
THE CLINIC ACCUSING THEM OF
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE AND
NEGLIGENCE.
NEGLIGENCE. THE NEW YORK COUPLE WHO ARE
KOREAN-AMERICAN ALSO FILING A
SIMILAR LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM
SAYING THEY WERE ECSTATIC WHEN
THEY DISCOVERED THEY WERE
PREGNANT, THOUGHT THEY WERE
HAVING TWO GIRLS AND LATER WERE
SHOCKED WHEN THE WOMAN GAVE
BIRTH TO BOYS THAT DID NOT
APPEAR TO BE OF ASIAN DISSENT.
>> NONE OF THIS SHOULD HAVE
HAPPENED TO NONE OF US.
>> THE FERTILITY CENTER MADE NO
STATEMENTS AND DID NOT RESPOND
TO NBC’S REQUEST FOR COMMENT.
IVF IS A BOOMING INDUSTRY WITH
DEMAND DOUBLING BETWEEN 2007 AND
2017.
2017. MORE THAN 78,000 BABIES BORN AS
A RESULT IN 2017 ALONE.
BUT THE INDUSTRY REMAINS LARGELY
UNREGULATED WITH NO SINGLE
GOVERNMENT AGENCY OVERSEEING
FERTILITY CENTERS OR REQUIRING
DISCLOSURES OR RULES THAT
PREVENT ERRORS LIKE THIS.
>> THEY WERE NOT EXPECTED TO
REPORT IT TO ANYBODY.
>> PARENTS SHOULD SHOP AROUND
FOR CLINICS, LEARN ABOUT
PROCEDURES AND MAKE SURE LABS
ARE ACCREDITED BY THE COLLEGE OF
AMERICAN PATHOLOGISTS.
AMERICAN PATHOLOGISTS. AS FOR THE FAMILY, THEY’RE
THAFRPGFUL TO
THAFRPGFUL TO THAFRPG
THAFRPG THANKFUL TO HOLD THEIR SON IN
THEIR ARMS.
THEIR ARMS. >> HE’S AMAZING.
YOU KNOW, HE’S OURS.
HE’S BEEN OURS SINCE DAY ONE.
>> THE NEW YORK COUPLE INITIALLY
WANTED TO KEEP THE BABY THAT
WOMAN CARRIED BUT THEY DID
EVENTUALLY RETURN BOTH BABIES TO
THEIR BIOLOGICAL PARENTS.
THEY SAY IN THEIR SUIT THAT THEY
HAVE NEVER BEEN TOLD WHAT
HAPPENED TO THEIR ORIGINAL TWO
BIOLOGICAL EMBRYOS THAT SHOULD
HAVE BEEN IMPLANTED.
>> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT MOM
WHO CARRIED TWO BABIES THAT
DIDN’T TURN OUT TO BE HER OWN
AND THEN HAD TO GIVE THEM UP, I
MEAN THAT’S JUST --
>> HORRIBLE ALL AROUND.
>> HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK THINGS
LIKE THIS HAPPEN?
>> MORE THAN YOU THINK.
WE WERE TALKING TO EXPERTS ABOUT
THIS YESTERDAY.
THIS YESTERDAY. AND THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, FROM
SWITCHED EMBRYOS TO HAVING MAYBE
LIKE A SPERM DONOR WHO TURNS OUT
NOT TO BE YOUR HUSBAND, THAT
DOES HAPPEN.
DOES HAPPEN. AND A LOT OF TIMES IT’S NOT
CAUGHT.
CAUGHT. IT WAS CAUGHT IN THIS CASE
BECAUSE THE BABIES LOOKED SO
DIFFERENT FROM THE WOMAN WHO
GAVE BIRTH TO THEM.
>> ETHNICALLY.
>> ETHNICALLY. >> IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING IVF OR
MAYBE YOU HAVE AN EMBRYO FROZEN
IN A CLINIC, I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU
DO?
DO? >> THAT’S WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS
TO KNOW.
TO KNOW. THE EXPERTS SAY ASK A LOT OF
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. ASK ABOUT THE BACKGROUND OF THE
CENTER THAT YOU’RE WORKING WITH.
ASK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK.
CAN YOU ASK WHETHER THEY HAVE
MASTERS DEGREES, WHAT THE
HISTORY IS IN WORKING WITH THE
FIELD.
FIELD. ASK ABOUT QUALITY CONTROLS.
HOW DO THEY MONITOR THE EMBRYO
TO MAKE SURE HOW DO THEY KEEP
TRACK OF THE EMBRYOS?
IS THERE INFORMATION THAT IS
HANDWRITTEN THAT, IS NOT GOOD.
IT SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, DIGITAL,
IT SHOULD HAVE A BAR CODE OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO TRACK THE
REPRODUCTIVE MATERIALS.
REPRODUCTIVE MATERIALS. AND THEN ALSO MAKE SURE THAT NOT
EVERYTHING IS KEPT IN THE SAME
PLACE.
PLACE. REMEMBER, LAST YEAR WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT THE TANKS THAT
WENT BAD LAST YEAR AT FERTILITY
CLINICS.
CLINICS. YOU DON’T WANT ALL OF YOUR
EMBRYOS IN ONE TANK.
>> IT SEEMS IF THERE IS LITTLE
TO NO GOVERNMENT REGULATION, BUT
ARE THE CENTERS BEING HELD
RESPONSIBLE BY ANYONE?
>> SO THE DEAL IS THAT IT’S
PATCHWORK.
PATCHWORK. WE’VE TRIED AND MADE MANY CALLS
TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHO
REGULATES WHAT.
REGULATES WHAT. IT’S LIKE STATE AND FEDERAL
AGENCIES AND PROFESSIONAL
AGENCIES AND ACCREDITATION
GROUPS.
GROUPS. BUT IT’S NOT ONE SINGLE AGENCY.
THAT’S THE PROBLEM HOLDING
EVERYBODY ACCOUNTABLE.
EVERYBODY ACCOUNTABLE. THE ONLY RECOURSE THEY HAVE IS
TO FILE A SUIT.
>> I HAD IVF WITH MY SECOND
BABY.
BABY. WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THAT
PROCESS, YOUR WHOLE HOPES ARE
ENTRUSTED TO A CLINIC AND IT’S
JUST HEARTWRENCHING TO SEE HOW
IT TURNED OUT.