NEED TO KNOW
- A couple in Florida is suing a local IVF clinic, alleging the wife was implanted with the wrong embryo
- The woman, who is identified as “Caucasian,” claimed she gave birth to a baby who is not genetically related to her
- The couple used genetic testing and discovered the baby is not biologically related to the parents, according to court documents obtained by News 6 Orlando
A woman who allegedly gave birth to a baby who was not genetically hers is suing the Florida IVF clinic that stored her viable embryos.
In a lawsuit filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court in Florida on Jan. 9, a woman and her spouse, identified as Jane Doe in the court documents obtained by News 6 Orlando, claimed she was a patient at the Fertility Center of Orlando when she was allegedly implanted with the wrong embryo.
PEOPLE has reached out to the couple’s attorney for comment on the lawsuit.
The husband and wife, who began pursuing IVF treatment with the clinic in March 2025, claimed the woman believed the embryo included her egg and her husband’s sperm. Instead, the woman, identified as “caucasian” in the documents, allegedly gave birth to a baby girl in early December who had the “appearance of a non-caucasian child.”
The couple then turned to genetic testing, and allegedly discovered the baby was not biologically related to either of the parents, per the court documents.
“Of equal concern to the Plaintiffs is the obvious possibility that someone else was implanted with one or more of their embryos and is pregnant with or has been pregnant with and is presently parenting one or more of their children,” the lawsuit alleged, WFLA reported.
In response to the situation, the parents of the baby claim to have reached out to the Fertility Center of Orlando to be connected with the baby’s genetic parents by Jan. 7. As of the lawsuit’s filing, the couple had allegedly not received a response from the clinic to their inquiry.
“An intensely strong emotional bond was created on the part of John and Jane Doe with the unborn child Jane Doe carried during the nine months of her pregnancy, and despite the certain knowledge that Baby Doe is not their genetically matched child, the emotional bond grows stronger every minute of every day that Baby Doe remains in their care,” the lawsuit alleged, per WFLA.
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It added that the couple would be willing to keep the baby in their care; however, she “should legally and morally be united with her genetic parents so long as they are fit, able and willing to take her.”
The plaintiffs are asking that the clinic inform all patients who stored their embryos with the clinic before the plaintiff’s implantation, WESH reported, citing court documents. They also want the clinic to provide free genetic testing for all of its patients for the last five years, as well as testing for babies who were born as a result of implanted embryos at the fertility center. The parents are requesting that the clinic tell patients about any disparities found during testing.
“We are actively cooperating with an investigation to support one of our patients in determining the source of an error that resulted in the birth of a child who is not genetically related to them,” the Fertility Center of Orlando said in a statement, according to WESH. “Multiple entities are involved in this process, and all parties are working diligently to help identify when and where the error may have occurred. Our priority remains transparency and the well-being of the patient and child involved. We will continue to assist in any way that we can regardless of the outcome of the investigation.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the Fertility Center of Orlando for further comment.
Read the full article here
