Identifying IVF Children

The British's government's concerning new proposal to identify children born from IVF egg and sperm donation techniques.

The recent birth of a baby girl, born to a mother who had polycystic ovarian syndrome and was unable to have drug therapy, heralds hope for many women with ovarian conditions and cancer. But what if you're unable to produce your own eggs at all? What if a no stimulation cycle fails, or you have no eggs to harvest? To seek eggs from another woman has been the answer for some infertile women and has helped them to achieve their dream of a family.

Now the UK government has announced it may register on birth certificates whether a child was conceived via egg or sperm donation.

Since April 2005, egg and sperm donors in the UK are traceable. When a child reaches the age of 18, they will be able to contact the donors. However, this relies upon their parents actually telling them they resulted from egg or sperm donation. Some parents understandably don't want their child to know of their origins. This is why ministers are proposing to introduce new measures which would disclose this fact on the child's birth certificate.

Phil Willis, a member of Parliament from the Liberal Democrat Party -- said the government "should not be complicit in what in fact would be a lie regarding the origins of where a child actually came from," adding, "The principle is that we believe children have a right to know.'

But is it any business of the government if the parents did lie? Its their child and surely a parental decision whether or not they tell their child? If a woman was raped, would it be a 'lie' not to tell her child? I feel the government are stepping in too far in how parents raise their children and trying to force an issue which is none of their business.