October 1, 2001 LONDON (AP) - A British couple are seeking permission to use in vitro fertilization to conceive a baby who will help save the life of their terminally ill toddler, health officials said Monday.
Shahana and Raj Hashmi of Leeds in northern England said their 2-year-old son Zain will die of a rare genetic blood disorder unless a bone marrow match can be found.
Neither the couple nor their four other children are a suitable match, so the couple are asking for permission to allow doctors to screen embryos formed using IVF treatment to find a perfect match.
The selected embryo would then be implanted in Hashmi's uterus and, if pregnancy was achieved, bone marrow would be taken from the baby's umbilical cord at birth and given to Zain.
The application is the first of its kind in Britain, although a similar procedure has been carried out in the United States, officials said. The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority must give approval before doctors can proceed.
"The authority is considering this application and will look at it very carefully, taking into account all the technical, medical and ethical issues involved," a spokesman said, speaking with customary anonymity.
"We are aware of the significance of this case from the family concerned, but we are also aware that this represents a new departure for the application of these techniques in this country."
Zain suffers from beta thalassaemia major and requires monthly blood transfusions.
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
