Techniques of donation: ‘three parents’, anonymity and disclosure

The clinical application of novel in-vitro fertilisation techniques involving mitochondrial donation was legalised in the UK in 2015. Mitochondria contain genetic material and it is possibly not surprising that headlines have described the resulting baby as having ‘three parents’ – the intending mother and father, and the egg donor. The techniques raise important questions, including how do we interpret transfer of biological material from one body to another? What are the implications for identity? And how, whether or when should the use of these techniques be revealed to the child? This article has two aims. First, it sets out the key ethical issues raised by the clinical introduction of mitochondrial donation. Secondly, it presents empirical data to highlight how patients themselves respond to these ethical questions. It concludes by highlighting how the introduction of medical technologies and the relationships between donors and recipients are dependent on the cultural, historical and social contexts

Three persons, three genetic contributors, three parents: Mitochondrial donation, genetic parenting and the immutable grammar of the ‘three x x’

ESRC Future Research Leaders award (ref. ES/ K00901X/1

Dimond response to Department of Health mitochondria consultation

This report is a response to the Department of Health Consultation 'A consultation on draft regulations to permit the use of new treatment techniques to prevent the transmission of a serious mitochondrial disease from mother to child' submitted May 2014 Please also see my comments on the way in which the consultation has been carried out (submitted to DoH June 2014