Correspondence

Ooplasmic Transfer

N Engl J Med 2002; 347:147-148July 11, 2002

Article

To the Editor:

In his Sounding Board article (March 7 issue),1 Dr. Templeton notes that ooplasmic transfer raises novel issues related to family law, kinship, and relationships, in addition to important issues regarding health and safety. A child born after an ooplasmic transfer would have a second genetic mother — the source of the mitochondrial DNA in the donated ooplasm. However, if this technique proves safe and effective for oocyte insufficiency, the rules of family law would easily adjust to it, just as they have with egg donation, a rapidly growing assisted reproductive technique.

Like other egg donors, the woman who provided the ooplasm would almost certainly not have independent standing as a legal parent.2 Nor, given the small amount of DNA contributed, is it likely that she would psychologically or socially be viewed as a mother. This viewpoint is similar to the way in which gestational and genetic motherhood is now distinguished in egg donation and gestational surrogacy. Resolving the family-law and kinship issues in ooplasm transfer will be easier than understanding the science or increasing the clinical efficacy of this procedure to an acceptable level.

John A. Robertson, J.D.
University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX 78705
jrobertson@mail.law.utexas.edu

2 References