Eight Babies Born in UK Using Groundbreaking IVF Technique to Prevent Inherited Diseases

UK scientists have used a special IVF method to help prevent genetic illness in newborns.

Eight healthy babies now offer new hope to families facing mitochondrial health conditions.

Eight babies have been born in the United Kingdom using a pioneering IVF technique designed to prevent the transmission of genetic diseases from mother to child, researchers revealed on Wednesday. The announcement marks a milestone in reproductive science and raises new hopes for women at risk of passing on debilitating mitochondrial disorders.

The breakthrough comes from a world-first trial conducted at the Newcastle Fertility Centre in northeast England. According to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the IVF method significantly reduced the babies’ chances of inheriting mitochondrial diseases a group of untreatable conditions that can lead to symptoms like muscle wasting, vision loss, and diabetes. These conditions affect approximately one in every 5,000 births.

Britain became the first country to legalize this form of IVF in 2015. The procedure involves combining the nuclear DNA of the mother and father with a small portion of healthy mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg. While the resulting child contains DNA from three individuals, researchers emphasize that only about 0.1% of the DNA comes from the donor prompting them to push back against the term “three-parent baby.”

Of the 22 women who received the treatment, eight gave birth to healthy babies four boys and four girls now aged between a few months and over two years. In six of the infants, scientists observed a 95–100% reduction in mutated mitochondrial DNA, and in the other two, levels dropped by 77–88%, which falls below the threshold known to cause disease.

“This demonstrates the treatment’s effectiveness in reducing transmission of mitochondrial mutations,” the researchers wrote.

So far, all eight children are in good health, although one child experienced a heart rhythm issue that has since been treated. The children’s development will continue to be monitored over the coming years for any long-term complications.

Nils-Goran Larsson, a reproductive expert from Sweden not involved in the study, called the development a “breakthrough” and praised the method as a “very important reproductive option” for families facing the risk of severe mitochondrial conditions.

However, the procedure remains controversial. It is not yet approved in several countries, including the United States and France. Religious leaders and some critics oppose the method due to the destruction of human embryos during the process, while others fear it may open the door to future genetic engineering of so-called “designer babies.”

The UK’s Human Fertilizations and Embryology Authority (HFEA) only permits the treatment for individuals facing a high risk of transmitting mitochondrial disease. HFEA Chief Peter Thompson reaffirmed that the therapy is strictly regulated and not a general infertility solution.

The ethical framework supporting this research was developed in part by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. Its director, Danielle Hamm, said the council’s review was critical in guiding the study and ensuring it met ethical standards.

Some experts remain cautious about broader applications. Dr. Julie Stefann, a French specialist in mitochondrial disease, said that while the benefits are evident for genetic conditions, the technique’s use in addressing infertility remains unproven.

Dagan Wells, a reproductive genetics researcher at Oxford University, acknowledged that the relatively small number of births might seem modest compared to the effort invested, but emphasized the importance of ensuring safety and long-term efficacy.

Of particular interest to scientists are three of the babies who showed signs of “reversal” a poorly understood occurrence where the proportion of defective mitochondria increases in the child’s cells after birth, despite being low during early embryo development.

Researchers say ongoing monitoring is essential to understanding the long-term success of this technique and its potential limitations. Still, for families who feared passing on life-altering illnesses, the early results bring welcome hope for a healthier future.