"Three-parent" IVF refers to an embryo created using the father's sperm and the mother's egg, plus a donor egg from another woman. The purpose is to eliminate potentially fatal mitochondrial diseases that may be passed from mother to child.
Currently, one in every 6,500 babies suffers from severe mitochondrial disease, which can lead to muscle weakness, blindness, heart failure, and even death. An important feature of mitochondria is that they are inherited only through the mother's egg; using an additional egg can provide the child with healthy mitochondria, though certain risks of genetic disease may still exist.
Proponents argue that donating healthy mitochondria is equivalent to organ donation, while opponents consider it unethical.
The world's first IVF baby was born in the UK.
