The three-parent approach is officially accepted by the government of Britain on December 15. The country finally released a licensed approving in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment for people three people who would like to be a part of creating a child.
Based on Scientific American's report, Britain is now the first country to give a license for three parents for IVF. This would benefit those who would like to go under this kind of treatment in order to procreate. It took years before the Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) finally decided to approve of this IVF treatment called the mitochondrial transfer. Doctors even believe that it could help in the prevention of possible diseases that are still incurable.
However, not everyone is happy about this new progress in the reproduction industry. Reuters said that there are critics who are scared that this progress could lead to having genetically modified designer babies. Mark Walport, Britain's chief scientific adviser was confident enough to believe that the HFEA did a careful and considered analysis of the matter. This is the reason why he praised the institution and was proud of them for making Britain a leader of medical advances in this era.
The IVF treatment would get in the way of the usual process of fertilization, which would then eliminates the mitochondria, the energy source inside the cells. The advantage of its removal lower the risk of having fatal heart issues, blindness, mental illness, liver failure and even muscular dystrophy.
For the skeptics, this process aims to help people with diseases that involve the mitochondria and other diseases that could be passed on through the mother's genes. People would be surprised to know that one in about 6,500 kids around the world suffer from this issue and hopefully this new IVF treatment would put an end to it.
