Singapore Headlines: Wrong Sperm Used

I truly pity the family for this mix-up. If I were the mother, I would be devastated and have a lot of mixed feelings. For the poor father it must be even worse. The wrong sperm was used during an IVF procedure at Thomson Fertility Centre previously known as Thomson Medical Centre. The baby’s DNA was found to not match the father’s. It makes me wonder if things like this happen all the time and only that this time it was discovered due to the investigation. Human error is alway possible. If babies once they are born can be switched, it’s easier with vials. I think this must be the ultimate nightmare for parents and why hospitals should not be understaffed. When it comes to matters like this, it’s always good to be more than cautious at every step of the way.

The baby has a markedly different complexion from that of his mother, a Singaporean Chinese woman, and her husband, a Caucasian Singapore PR. The baby’s blood type is B, while those of the couple is A and O. A DNA test has confirmed that the child has the mother’s DNA makeup, but not the father’s.

Dr Cheng Li Chang, the medical director of Thomson Fertility Centre where the couple had sought IVF treatment, said in a statement that he and his colleagues “fully empathise with the couple, and are very sorry and distressed over what has happened”.

It was reported that they have met the couple to explain the situation, and will keep them updated and provide them with all possible support.

Dr Cheng said the centre’s operating procedures “meet all regulatory requirements, and are of the highest international standards”.

The Ministry of Health, however, has said that “certain practices” could be improved. While it did not specify these practices, it will be issuing additional directives to correct them in time to come.

Report at AsiaOne.

The couple made the shocking discovery after they were told that the baby’s blood type was B while they were groups O and A, a scientific impossibility if they were the two biological parents, S. Palaniappan told AFP.
“They discovered it a few days after the birth of the baby. They were informed by the paediatrician that the baby’s blood group is B,” he said.
“So they were a bit surprised because the mother is O and the father is A. Biologically it’s not possible when you have such a combination.”
The couple, a Chinese Singaporean woman and a Caucasian man whose identities the lawyer kept confidential, also started to notice the baby has a distinctly different complexion.
A DNA test carried out last month in a Hong Kong laboratory at the couple’s request showed the baby, who was born on October 1 in an emergency caesarean, had the mother’s DNA but not the official father’s, Palaniappan said.

Full Report at AFP.

The couple at the centre of the botched procedure – a Singaporean Chinese woman and her Caucasian permanent resident husband – have decided to keep the baby. The mother has bonded with the child, the couple said through their lawyer, Mr S. Palaniappan, casting aside an earlier option of putting the child in foster care while the case is being resolved.

Read the full article at The Straits Times.

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Blogging about life in Singapore & recently cancer too.
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10 Responses to Singapore Headlines: Wrong Sperm Used

  1. lynnette-net says:

    yeah i pity the family too, but i wonder, will the parents treat the baby as their own? because i think whenever they look at the baby, they’ll remember the mix-up?

  2. floramoreno says:

    Wow, I would be beyond frustrated. I bet they’ll always look at the kid differently now, which is unfortunate but I think inevitable in a situation like this.

  3. 365days2play says:

    This can’t be compared to adoption, because when you want to adopt, you are already mentally prepared that the kid will not look like you and not have your genes. The worst part is that the kid isn’t the same colour, which just makes the differences stand out even more.

    Btw you’re in the papers again!

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