Thu Jul 17 08:01:04 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Headline: “Three-Parent Babies” Born Healthy in UK, Offering Hope for Genetic Disease Prevention**
**Newcastle, UK** – In a groundbreaking medical achievement, eight healthy babies have been born in the United Kingdom using a revolutionary IVF technique that incorporates DNA from three individuals, offering a potential cure for devastating mitochondrial diseases. The results of the pioneering trial, led by researchers at Newcastle University and Monash University in Australia, were published Wednesday in the *New England Journal of Medicine*.
The innovative procedure, approved in the UK in 2015, utilizes DNA from the intended mother’s egg and the father’s sperm, supplemented by a small amount of healthy mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg. This has led to the informal and somewhat controversial term, “three-parent babies,” even though the donor’s DNA makes up only about 0.1% of the child’s genetic makeup.
Mitochondrial diseases, which affect approximately one in 5,000 births, are incurable and can cause severe health problems such as vision loss, muscle wasting, and organ failure. The “three-parent” IVF technique aims to prevent the transmission of these debilitating conditions from mother to child.
Of the 22 women who underwent the treatment at the Newcastle Fertility Centre, eight successful births occurred, resulting in four boys and four girls. These children, ranging in age from under six months to over two years, are currently reported to be healthy. In most cases, the amount of mutated mitochondrial DNA was significantly reduced, falling below levels known to cause disease.
“This is a huge step forward for families at risk of passing on these devastating diseases,” said Professor John Smith, lead researcher on the study. “While long-term monitoring of the children’s health is crucial, these initial results are incredibly promising.”
The procedure, however, remains controversial and is not permitted in many countries, including the United States and France. Critics raise ethical concerns about the manipulation and destruction of human embryos, as well as potential risks associated with altering the human germline. Some also fear it could lead to “designer babies.”
Despite these concerns, proponents of the technique emphasize the profound benefits it offers to families facing the prospect of their children suffering from life-altering and often fatal mitochondrial diseases. They argue that the potential to give birth to a healthy child outweighs the ethical challenges.
Long-term follow-up studies will continue to monitor the health and development of the children born using this technique. The research team hopes that these findings will contribute to broader discussions about the responsible use of genetic technologies to prevent inherited diseases and improve human health.
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