In Ukraine, a new method of IVF called pronuclear transfer has been used to give birth to a "three-parent baby." However, this sparked a controversy as many ethical questions have been raised.

A mother was unable to give birth to a child after four failed attempts of IVF over the course of ten years. Her eggs are fertilized but did not last long before it could not be implanted in the mother's womb due to a medical case called embryonic arrest.

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The new IVF treatment, however, was able to maximize the survival rate of the fertilized egg by making a hybrid embryo. The eggs were fertilized by the partner's sperm, then the pronucleus was transferred into an egg of a donor female - resulting in the term "three-parent baby."

The resulting embryo, which was implanted into the mother's womb, has the genetic identity of the parents and the mitochondrial DNA of the donor.

Fertility researcher Valery Zukin from Nadiya clinic in Kiev, Ukraine, believes that this is an "opening of a new era." The practice has, however, raised many ethical questions. Besides religious concerns, medical authorities are also worried about the long-term effects that this method could pose to the babies.

Zukin's team, however, claim that they have run several tests on the baby, and everything is "completely normal" from a medical standpoint. The new IVF technique can also be used to avoid transmitting mitochondrial diseases to children.

According to Zukin, a second "three-parent baby" will be born around March this year. This new IVF technique has given hope to many women who have sought medical help for years but to no avail.

Still, pronuclear transfer is still being studied. Further scientific backing and proper evaluation are required before the technique would be widely adopted as a safe alternative to improve IVF treatments.