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Photo: Fabian Strauch / dpa
A woman in California takes a fertility clinic to court - because she gave birth to the baby of strange parents after mistaking an embryo.
The wife and her husband described the "trauma" they had experienced in tears in front of the press on Monday.
After in vitro fertilization with the help of a clinic in Los Angeles, the couple had a baby girl in September 2019.
He immediately had doubts, said Father.
Because the baby had much darker skin and jet black hair.
They fell in love with the newborn, but the doubts remained, said the man.
A genetic test two months later revealed that it was not her biological child.
After a mix-up, her embryo was transplanted into another couple whose baby was born a week later.
"A nightmare that will haunt our family for a lifetime"
The babies were four months old when both couples swapped in January 2020, each receiving their biological children back.
"I gave birth to this strange baby, breastfed and loved it, and then I had to give it up," said the mother through tears.
At the same time, she missed the first few months of her own child's life.
This was also traumatic for her then five-year-old daughter, who suddenly had to give up her little sister for another baby.
"It's a nightmare that will haunt our family for a lifetime," said the father.
With the lawsuit, the couple also wanted to draw attention to common mishaps, negligence and lack of control in the artificial insemination business, said their lawyer Adam Wolf.
He insists on compensation for emotional trauma and compensation for financial expenses.
According to him, the second couple concerned also wants to file a lawsuit.
aar / dpa