A mother in China, surnamed Wang, sparked widespread attention after suspecting that a little girl seen in a viral video might have a biological connection to her daughter, who was conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). On August 13, Wang, who resides in Shanghai, stumbled upon a video online where a blogger was trying to locate the parents of a lost child found at a railway station. The striking resemblance between the girl in the video and Wang’s daughter was so uncanny that a concerned friend brought it to her attention.
Wang’s daughter was born through IVF in 2018, and the family had stored additional embryos at the hospital for potential future use. The similarities between the two girls led Wang to suspect that there might have been a mix-up or misuse of her stored embryos. “This little girl really looks like my daughter, even her expressions are the same,” Wang told Chinese Business View. She further explained that during the IVF process, multiple eggs are retrieved, raising concerns that her egg might have been mistakenly given to another family.
Wang expressed her desire to contact the little girl’s family to conduct a DNA test and confirm any biological connection. However, her efforts to reach out were initially unsuccessful as the contact details were not saved by the blogger who posted the video. Determined to find answers, Wang made a public video appeal, emphasizing that she had no ill intentions and simply wanted to clarify the situation. “Although we do not have the right to demand anything, we would still like an answer,” she stated.
The online community in China reacted with mixed feelings. While some agreed on the similarity in appearance, others dismissed Wang’s concerns as unnecessary and speculative. Comments ranged from questioning the need for further investigation to advising Wang to address her concerns privately with the hospital rather than involving the other family.
On August 18, the parents of the missing girl clarified that their daughter, now two and a half years old, was born naturally, and they had already reported the issue to the Shanghai police. Following this clarification, Wang deleted her video seeking the family.
This incident highlights the emotional and ethical complexities surrounding assisted reproductive technology. According to data from the National Health Commission, about 300,000 babies are born annually through IVF in China, accounting for 2 percent of all newborns in the country. The use of IVF in China is restricted to heterosexual married couples experiencing fertility issues, leaving many with concerns about the security and handling of their genetic material.
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