A Dutch in vitro fertilization (IVF) center is launching an investigation after it found that at least 26 women may have been fertilized by the wrong sperm.

The Utrecht University Medical Centre said on Wednesday that a "procedural error" between April 2015 and November 2016 may have caused the mix-up in sperm.

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Traces of the Error

According to BBC, it is believed that a lab technician has used an inappropriate pipette to inject sperm. Instead of conducting the IVF procedure, the lab technician conducted a technique called Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection wherein a single sperm is directly injected into the egg using a pippette, which really differs from IVF.

An alarm was raised by the technician after tracing the error in the rubber top that would normally have a filter, but in this case it did not, according to a hospital spokesman.

However, of the 26 couples involved in this IVF mix-up case incident, nine already had children, four pregnant, and 13 other embryos frozen.

The couples had already been informed, the medical center said. It also expressed its regrets for the incident especially to the couples involved.

"During fertilisation, sperm cells from one treatment couple may have ended up with the egg cells of 26 other couples; Therefore there's a chance that the egg cells have been fertilised by sperm other than that of the intended father," the center said.

Although the chance of that happening was small, the possibility "could not be excluded," the centre added.

All the couples are due to meet doctors from the center in the coming days and will be offered the option of a DNA test.

What is IVF?

In vitro fertilization or commonly known as IVF is the process of fertilization that involves a series of procedures used to treat fertility or genetic problems and assist with conception.

It manually combines mature eggs and sperms in a laboratory dish and then transfer the embryo to the uterus. One cycle of IVF takes about two weeks.

The success rate of IVF clinics depends on a number of factors such as reproductive history, maternal age, cause of infertility, and lifestyle factors. It is important also to understand that pregnancy rate is different from live birth.

TagsIVF Mix-up, Ethnically Chinese, baby-swapping, in vitro fertilization, fertization