28th November 2002
COULD HUMAN CLONE BE BORN IN JANUARY?
An Italian doctor claims the first cloned human baby will be born in 2003, but experts aren't convinced.
Dr. Severino Antinori, a controversial Italian medic, announced at a press conference this week that three women he's treated are carrying foetus clones and are in the advanced stages of pregnancy. He said that one woman is expected to give birth in January 2003 and that the embryo appears to be developing normally.
"It's going well. There are no problems," he said, adding that the baby seems "absolutely healthy."
The other two women are said to be in the 27th and 28th weeks of their pregnancies. No further details were given and he refused to reveal the nationality or location of any of the women, to "protect their privacy."
Despite his claims, experts aren't convinced and others say it's very unethical. Dr. Antinori made a similar announcement back in April this year, but no baby has ever been born and he's made no mention of it since. Some people even doubt whether he really has the knowledge to carry out such a tricky procedure.
Dr. Harry Griffin, deputy director of the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, where Dolly the cloned sheep was born, said, "There are many losses before implantation, during pregnancy, and many cloned animals die within a few hours or days of birth. It's a very risky procedure and there's no reason to suppose it's going to be any easier in humans than it is in those species which have been cloned so far."
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