For the first time in history of the united kingdom baby was born with her using DNA from three peopleaccording to UK birth control.

Most of the DNA comes from both parents of the child and about 0.1% of the third womandonor.

This innovative technique was implemented in the context of broader efforts to prevent children from being born with mitochondrial diseases.

Mitochondrial diseases are incurable and can be fatal within days or even hours after birth. Some families have lost many children and this method is considered the only option for them to have a healthy child of their own.

Mitochondria, often referred to as “cell factories,” are tiny organelles found in nearly every cell in the body that convert food into energy. However, defective mitochondria cannot supply the body with energy, leading to brain damage, muscular dystrophies, heart failure, and blindness.

Mitochondria can only be passed on to a child from the mother. Thus, donor mitochondrial therapy is a modified form of IVF performed using the mitochondria of a healthy mitochondrial donor.

However, mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles with their own genetic information or DNA, which practically means that children born with this technique inherit their parents’ DNA as well as traces from the donor. This is a permanent change that will pass through the generations.

Third-party DNA is only meant to create efficient mitochondria and it does not affect other characteristics such as appearance, and the donor is not a “third parent”..

Currently, the technique has been implemented in Newcastle, although the corresponding law allowing the birth of children using this procedure was passed back in 2015.

Despite this, Britain did not immediately begin to introduce technology. The first child born with this method, was a family from Jordan who received treatment in the US in 2016.

According to the Human Fertilization and Embryology Administration (HFEA), as of April 20, 2023. “less than five” children are born like this.

Source: BBC