"Negligence after negligence": Gave birth via egg donation - and discovered that her daughter belongs to another donor
A woman who needed an egg donation chose a donor based on the data presented to her, after which embryos were created from the eggs provided to her and she became pregnant. After giving birth, she became suspicious about the identity of the egg donor - and following an inquiry she conducted, she discovered that the baby was born from the egg of another donor.
The Ministry of Health is investigating a suspected case of further negligence in the field of fertility. As reported on News 12, a woman who brought a baby girl into the world via egg donation discovered, according to her, that the egg from which her daughter was born belongs to another donor - whom she did not choose, did not know, and did not approve.
A young couple tried to bring children into the world and needed an egg donation for this purpose. The woman chose a donor based on the data presented to her, and subsequently, embryos were created from the eggs provided to the couple. She became pregnant, and about two years ago, she gave birth to a baby girl. However, in recent months, the mother became suspicious regarding the identity of the egg donor. Following an inquiry she conducted, she discovered, according to her, that the baby was born from the egg of a donor other than the one she had chosen.
Following the discovery, the mother contacted the company that provided the eggs, which is considered one of the largest companies in Israel in the field of egg donations. The company works with many hospitals and medical centers in Israel. At this stage, the circumstances of the incident are still being investigated, and it has not yet been determined how the gap was created between the identity of the chosen donor and the identity, allegedly, of the donor whose egg the baby was born from.
A specific case - or an event with widespread impact?
The suspicion raises difficult questions regarding the mechanisms of identification, documentation, and control throughout the treatment chain, starting from the stage of choosing the donor and receiving the eggs, through the creation of the embryos and their storage, and up to their transfer to the uterus. Likewise, the question is being examined whether this is a specific case or an event that may have implications for other patients and families.
Beyond the issue of genetic identity, a possible error in the donor's identity may have medical significance for the child and her family. The choice of an egg donor is carried out, among other things, based on medical and genetic information provided to the parents. If an egg from another donor was indeed used, it must be clarified what medical information was provided to the family and whether it matches the background of the biological donor.
"The IVF world is not lawless"
Advocate Galit Kerner, who represents the mother, stated that this is "negligence after negligence - and the end is not in sight."
"The IVF world is not lawless, and it is time for the Ministry of Health to wake up and carry out actual supervision, not just more investigative committees," Kerner asserted.
According to her, the concern is not limited to the family she represents. "I am receiving dozens of inquiries, including from women who have already given birth and are worried about what will happen with their embryos, whether their child is indeed their own or if it was born from the chosen donation," she said, and clarified: "The cup has run over."
The current case joins a series of exceptional events exposed in recent years in the field of fertility treatments in Israel, which have increased the concern among patients regarding the controls applied to eggs, sperm, and embryos.
Only recently, Dr. Tal Shavit, director of the fertility department at Assuta Ramat HaHayal, responded to the suspicion of an error in the use of donor sperm, this after a patient who underwent fertility treatments at the hospital claimed that a genetic test she conducted showed that the identity of the donor from whom her children were born was different. According to him, the check at Assuta is still ongoing and there is no final conclusion at this stage regarding what happened, however, the findings collected so far do not indicate a systemic failure or danger to other patients. This case is also still under investigation by the hospital and the Ministry of Health.
