Overview

• A Brisbane woman unknowingly gave birth to another patient's baby due to an embryo mix-up at a Monash IVF clinic, marking Australia's first known incident of this kind in 40 years of IVF treatments.
• Monash IVF's initial investigation attributed the error to human mistakes despite the clinic's multi-step identification safeguards.
• An independent investigation is now underway to determine how the failure occurred and to assess the adequacy of existing safety measures within the clinic.
• The incident has reignited broader concerns over the preventability of IVF errors, with experts highlighting past cases involving donor sperm mix-ups and embryo contamination in Australia.
• Advocates are urging for improved transparency, including adopting a UK-style public reporting system for adverse IVF events to restore trust in the booming fertility industry.