Thursday, May 29, 2008

IVF Twins Abandoned because of Gender.

Wow, some people just shouldn't be allowed have children. Surely if you put yourself through the pain and difficulty of IVF to conceive you would be over joyed to have two healthy babies, regardless of whether they are male of female. But apparently not.
Observe, from today's Sun.

"A BRITISH couple abandoned their newborn IVF girl twins at a hospital – because they wanted boys.

The mum aged 59 and dad, 72, conceived in India with fertility treatment and returned to England for the birth.

They told horrified medics they did not want the “wrong sex” babies immediately after the Caesarean section in Wolverhampton.

The husband then asked how soon it would be before his wife was fit enough to fly out again for further IVF in the hope of getting a boy to continue the family name.

An NHS insider told The Sun: “Everyone is utterly appalled. How could any parent do this?

“This is Britain in the 21st century.

“But they just weren’t prepared to raise these two beautiful girls.”

Female babies are often abandoned in India for being the wrong sex – but it is the first time here. It will send shockwaves of revulsion through multi-cultural Britain.

The parents were born in India but are British citizens living in Birmingham.

They had fertility treatment in India as it is illegal here at at such an advanced age.
Advice

The twins were delivered at the New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

They were then transferred to a central NHS hospital in Birmingham. The parents are still believed to be in the city.

The babies have had NO visitors since being born less than a fortnight ago.

The mother – one of Britain’s oldest – discharged herself against the advice of doctors who told her she should stay for more than a week after her operation.

Birmingham Social Services department said it was investigating."

That's just utterly depressing. Poor little babies. They've done nothing wrong except exist and not have a winkle.

UPDATE: There may be less to this story that the Sun would have us believe.

'A hospital today denied claims that a couple who had received IVF in India had then dumped their twin babies after finding out they were both girls.

It had been claimed that the mother aged 59 and the father 72, had abandoned the babies after telling medics they were the 'wrong sex' because they wanted boys.

However Wolverhampton hospital today said that the parents were being 'attentive' to the babies' needs .

A spokesman said: "The parents are visiting their daughters whilst they are being cared for in hospital and are attentive to their needs."

Of course this is from the Daily Mail, the Telegraph has also pulled the story.

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