Eight UK Babies Born With Donor Mitochondria

Eight healthy babies have been born in the UK using mitochondrial donation IVF, a technique designed to prevent mothers from passing on serious and often fatal mitochondrial diseases. The procedure, legalized in the UK a decade ago, involves combining nuclear DNA from both parents with healthy mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg, resulting in children with less than 1% donor DNA. All babies so far are healthy and show no signs of mitochondrial disease, though experts emphasize the necessity of long-term monitoring. The process is strictly regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and has been praised for its potential to eliminate certain untreatable conditions. However, the achievement has sparked ongoing ethical, transparency, and safety debates, with some experts expressing concerns about the slow release of clinical data and potential unforeseen effects. Families involved have expressed gratitude, but broader questions about the procedure's long-term impact remain.