Fertility center suspects errors labeling embryos

NEW ORLEANS - A suburban New Orleans hospital has suspended operations at its in vitro fertilization center because of concerns that some of its frozen embryos may have been mislabeled, the hospital said Friday.

Ochsner Health System spokeswoman Amiee Goforth said hospital officials have no reason to suspect any embryos were implanted in the wrong mother.

But the hospital is contacting about 100 couples who may have been affected by the apparent labeling mix-up at its Elmwood in vitro fertilization center, which has been operating since 2003.

//<\/IFRAME>'); } --> //]]> Ochsner's chief executive officer, Dr. Patrick Quinlan, said in a statement that the center will not be accepting new patients while it conducts an internal audit of the program. Existing patients will be shifted to another facility.

Quinlan apologized for what he said appears to be a "significant labeling issue" at the center.

"We are disappointed in ourselves in what we have learned to date," he said. "We are deeply sorry for...