Truth Labs launches DNA fingerprinting unit in Hyderabad after illegal surrogacy Srushti Fertility case
The unit aims to accurately identify a child’s biological parents for those who underwent assisted reproductive technology
By Newsmeter Network
Representational Image
Hyderabad: To prevent biological identity fraud after the illegal surrogacy case of Srushti Fertility Centre in Hyderabad, a DNA fingerprinting unit has been launched in the city.
The unit aims to accurately identify a child’s biological parents for those who underwent assisted reproductive technology, in vitro fertilisation and surrogacy.
The DNA fingerprinting solution has been launched by Truth Labs with a non-profit forensic science organisation, Genome Foundation.
What is the Srushti Fertility Centre case?
The recent incident in Hyderabad involved 25 people involved in the Srushti Fertility Centre, including doctors and lab technicians.
The incident has created fear in childless couples seeking fertility treatment, whether the child born is theirs or of another lineage. With a growing number of clinics exploiting desires of parenthood, this facility has been launched to do away with doubts.
Key aspects to be considered by parents and fertility doctors
The problems faced by doctors in fertility treatments include fewer eggs in women, lower sperm count in men, a weak womb and the inability of the womb to hold the child for nine months.
Due to social pressures, many couples in the counselling session bring out the psychological problems they are facing. It is legally binding on doctors and fertility centres to obtain consent from both parents for the switching of eggs and sperm. But it has often been noted that due to social pressure, consent is taken only from one parent at the time of switching.
This has led to many scientific and social problems as the fertility centres become a bait when the parents take up the issue of lineage.
The practice of fraudulent embryo transfers, mix-ups of sperm and unapproved use of donor samples have emerged from these social issues, and despite guidelines to deal with them, they are often ignored or given away due to social pressures from the particular cases, explained Dr Gandhi PC Kaza, Chairman of Truth Labs.
When parents doubt their child
The incident and earlier unreported incidents have had many doubting parents approach labs for DNA testing.
To deal with this persistent problem, a solution is found in DNA fingerprinting.
What is DNA fingerprinting?
DNA fingerprinting provides a powerful deterrent to these frauds by ensuring a child’s traceability and confirming parental claims with over 99.9 per cent certainty.
How does the process work?
The DNA fingerprinting test is a simple, non-invasive procedure that can be performed on a blood sample from the umbilical cord at the time of birth. The process involves comparing specific regions of a child’s DNA, called short tandem repeats (STRs), with those of the alleged parents.
Every individual inherits half of their DNA from each biological parent, creating a unique genetic profile that can be verified through this comparison.
The test is a scientifically proven, legally admissible, and affordable solution for:
- Resolving paternity and maternity disputes
- Verifying IVF and surrogacy cases
- Investigating baby swaps and trafficking
- Ensuring ethical practices at fertility clinics and hospitals
A call for trust and transparency
Dr Gandhi urged parents, families, and clinics to adopt DNA testing as a standard practice, not just for conflict resolution but for building trust in the ART industry.
He stated that by encouraging families to request the test and empowering clinics to offer it, the integrity of parenthood can be protected with science, ethics, and assurance.
