Three-parent IVF can produce babies free of disease, so let’s welcome it | Tom Solomon

It’s mind-boggling that some people are against a medical advance that will prevent mitochondrial disease from occurring

I remember the first patient I looked after with mitochondrial disease. He had been playing football with his friends, then out of the blue he had a fit and was brought to hospital. Then he had another fit. And another. And another. We couldn’t stop them despite giving him all the drugs we had. So we took him to intensive care and took over most of his body functions. But we still couldn’t stop the fits. And then he had one last fit and died. And as his family stood around the bed and wept quietly, they all knew why.

John had mitochondrial disease. His mother, who had given him so much in life, had also given him bad mitochondrial DNA. And so he had died. The news that MPs have voted to allow “three-person IVF” babies to prevent some mitochondrial diseases will be welcomed by all those who care for such patients, as well as their families.

Related: MPs vote in favour of 'three-person embryo' law

Continue reading...