Singapore IVF mix-up

Imagine taking your new baby to see your pediatrician for a routine checkup, and getting some shocking news. You and your partner have blood groups O and A, but your baby, who just had their blood tested, had blood type B. As such, it is impossible that you are both the biological parents of your baby. This is exactly what happened to two Singaporean parents who had a baby after IVF. After simple blood typing revealed that something was not right, a DNA test was carried out, and it became clear that the baby carried the mother's DNA, but not the supposed father's. What happened here, and why?

The lawyer representing the couple, a Singapore Chinese woman and a Caucasian man, described what happened to them: "They discovered it a few days after the birth of the baby. They were informed by the pediatrician that the baby s blood group is B. 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." Then, a DNA test confirmed that the baby does have the mother's DNA, but not the father's. Apparently, the mother's egg was fertilized with another man's sperm. It remains unclear who the biological father of the baby is.

The lawyer said that the baby has remained in the care of the couple who thought they were the parents, and nothing has been said in the press about the "unintentional sperm donor" so far. The medical director of the Thomson Medical Centre, where the couple received treatment, said: "We fully empathize with the couple, and are very sorry and distressed over what has happened. We have met with them to explain the situation to the best of our knowledge, and we will continue to update them and offer all possible support." That sounds like a true nightmare, doesn't it? If you are undergoing IVF, you might want to read How likely are embryo mix-ups to happen at your fertility clinic, and How to stop embryo mix-ups from happening to you?