An Alabama Supreme Court decision to classify embryos as children has sent shock waves across the In Vitro Fertilization community, that includes people in need of IVF treatment and the fertility clinics provide it across the country and local to Nebraska.
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An Alabama supreme court decision to classify embryos as children has sent shockwaves across the In Vitro Fertilization community, that includes people in need of IVF treatment and the fertility clinics provide it.
Eryn Brown of Bellevue enjoys being a mom to her four month old son conceived through IVF.
Brown is a stage IV melanoma cancer survivor, her treatment left her unable to have a baby without IVF. Her reaction to Alabama’s ruling was devastation for families in the state seeking IVF treatment.
“It’s lengthy and very expensive,” She said.
Brown is also worried other states will follow Alabama's lead and said the ruling equates babies to embryos which in her view is a mistake.
“This is a baby,” she said. “The embryo that developed him when it was frozen was not a baby. This will pave the way for other states to create laws that could impede IVF for families."
Dr. Abigail Delaney is an infertility specialist at Heartland Center for Reproductive Health, she said rulings like this have been a concern since the overturning of Roe vs Wade.
“Anytime the government is involved in making medical decisions without a license is a scary thing.” Dr. Delaney said.
She encourages IVF patients to share their stories in an effort to increase understanding, saying that as more people understand how important the science is, they will also understand that IVF treatment needs to be completely available to everyone.
Right now, there’s no similar legislation reclassifying embryos in Nebraska.
