Legislation pending in Britain proposes sweeping changes to fertility laws, including requiring birth certificates to note whether a baby was conceived through in vitro fertilization and an easing of restrictions on so-called "savior siblings." Parents choose to have such children in part because their blood or bone marrow could be used to treat a brother or sister's disease.
The certificate requirement is meant to allow people to determine their genetic origins even if parents don't tell them, the Guardian reports, and give them access to donor registries. Currently, would-be parents of savior siblings can select a compatible embryo if an existing child has a life-threatening illness, but the bill would permit the process to treat any "serious" disease. (More Britain stories.)