Alabama hospital halts embryos program

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A large Alabama hospital has paused in vitro fertilization treatments as health care providers weigh the impact of a state court ruling that frozen embryos are the legal equivalent of children.

The University of Alabama Birmingham said in a statement Wednesday its Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility has paused the treatments “as it evaluates the Alabama Supreme Court's decision that a cryopreserved embryo is a human being.”

“We are saddened that this will impact our patients' attempt to have a baby through IVF, but we must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments,” the statement emailed by spokeswoman Savannah Koplon read.

Other fertility treatment providers in the state were continuing to provide IVF as lawyers explored the impact of the ruling.

The ruling by the all-Republican Alabama Supreme Court prompted a wave of concern about the future of IVF treatments in the state and potential unintended consequences of extreme anti-abortion laws in Republican-controlled states. Patients called clinics to see if scheduled IVF treatments would continue. And providers consulted with attorneys.

Justices — citing language in the Alabama Constitution that the state recognizes the “rights of the unborn child” — said three couples could sue for wrongful death when their frozen embryos were destroyed in an accident at a storage facility.

“Unborn children are ‘children' … without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics,” Justice Jay Mitchell wrote in Friday's majority ruling.

Groups representing both IVF treatment providers and patients seeking fertility treatments raised alarm about the decision.