Supposititious child is: March 2013 (d, h)
**Question:** Supposititious child is: March 2013 (d, h)
**Core Concept:** A supposititious child is a child conceived through artificial reproductive techniques (ART) where the genetic material from two adults is used to create an embryo, which is then implanted in a surrogate mother. The term "supposititious" is derived from the Latin word "suppositus," meaning substituted or placed instead of.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right:** The correct answer refers to a child conceived through a specific ART procedure called **double-donor conception (d,h)**. This method involves the use of genetic material from two unrelated individuals, typically a male and a female, with the woman's ovum being fertilized by the male's sperm in an IVF (in vitro fertilization) laboratory. The resulting embryo is then implanted in a surrogate mother who carries the pregnancy to term.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect:**
A. **Single-donor conception (s,h):** This term refers to children born from single-donor sperm or egg. In contrast to double-donor conception, single-donor conception involves the use of genetic material from either a single male or female individual.
B. **Surrogacy (s,w):** Surrogacy refers to a legal agreement where a woman carries and gives birth to a child for another couple or individual. This term does not specifically describe the type of ART procedure leading to a supposititious child.
C. **Embryo donation (s,w):** Embryo donation involves the donation of an embryo to a couple or individual intending to conceive. This term does not accurately describe the ART procedure resulting in a supposititious child, which involves the use of genetic material from two unrelated individuals.
D. **Insemination (s,w):** Insemination refers to the insertion of sperm into a woman's vagina or uterus for the purpose of fertilization. This term does not accurately describe the ART procedure resulting in a supposititious child.
**Clinical Pearl:** In the context of ART, the term "supposititious child" is a rare example of a child conceived through double-donor conception (d,h). This type of conception is usually associated with high-profile cases, such as the one involving British couple David and Gillian Jones and the American woman, Tracey Eden. The case involved the Jones's sperm and egg being used to create an embryo, which was then implanted in Tracey Eden's uterus. This resulted in the birth of a child with two sets of genetic material from two unrelated individuals, making the child a supposititious child.