In the United States, Nikki Haley, a Republican Presidential hopeful has courted controversy by stating that she believes frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) were babies. Her comments echo a recent controversial ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court.

Haley, the last major 2024 Republican presidential challenger to frontrunner Donald Trump, has added fuel to the debate over the status of embryos in IVF procedures and the legal implications of considering them as children. With the 2024 presidential race gaining heat in the US, the issue is likely to remain contentious.

Here's all you need to know about the 'embryos are babies' issue.

<h2>What is IVF, and what are embryos?</h2>

IVF or In-vitro fertilisation is a popular fertilisation method available to childless individuals. It uses eggs from a biologically female individual and sperm from a biologically male person to create embryos.

Here, embryos refer to the initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In humans, the term embryo is used to refer to a pregnancy until the end of the seventh week following conception.

IVF combines egg and sperm to grow embryos in the culture medium until they are implanted in the uterus.

<h2>Alabama Supreme court ruling on embryos</h2>

On Friday (Feb 16), the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under the state's laws, and that they are entitled to the same right as other unborn children.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-alabama-supreme-court-rules-frozen-embryos-are-children-692287">US: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are 'children'</a>

Passing the 7-2 majority ruling, Justice Jay Mitchell wrote "Unborn children are 'children'… without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics".

The ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court was issued in response to wrongful death cases involving destroyed embryos. In 2021, a patient at a fertility clinic in Mobile had allegedly broken into an IVF freezer and dropped several trays containing embryos. The case was brought against the fertility clinic, and after the top court ruling, three couples can now sue the facility for wrongful death.

<h2>Nikki Haley's comments&nbsp;</h2>

On Wednesday (Feb 21), speaking during a TV interview with NBC News, the presidential candidate addressing the Alabama court ruling remarked, "Embryos, to me, are babies."

"When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me, that's a life. And so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that," said Haley.

However, when asked about the potential ramifications of the decision, she chose a softer approach and said: "This is one where we need to be incredibly respectful and sensitive about it."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/embryos-are-babies-nikki-haley-agrees-with-alabama-supreme-court-ivf-ruling-692583">'Embryos are babies': Nikki Haley agrees with Alabama Supreme Court's IVF ruling</a>

In another interview later the same day — with CNN, she clarified that her remarks didn't mean she agreed with the court ruling.&nbsp;

"I didn't say that I agreed with the Alabama ruling," she said, adding "Our goal is to always do what the parents want with their embryo. It is theirs."

Nikki has campaigned as an anti-abortion presidential contender, reports ABC News. However, seeking to differentiate herself from the Republican field, she tends to voice a less strict tone on the issue.&nbsp;

<h2>Concerns over the court ruling</h2>

The Alabama Supreme Court ruling on embryos has raised concerns among IVF patients and doctors, with some unsure about how to proceed with treatments.&nbsp;

Following the ruling, the University of Alabama at Birmingham has&nbsp;temporarily stopped IVF treatments due to fears of legal repercussions and said: "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."

Watch |&nbsp;Are frozen embryos Children? Alabama Supreme Court gives first-of-its-kind decision

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The&nbsp;decision has been met with criticism, from experts who warn that it could have a devastating impact on people suffering from infertility and hoping to utilise IVF.

"We know for all these years that we've been doing IVF not only in the United States, but around the world, there is no moment of conception. This is a group of cells. We know that not every embryo even gets to a stage of several days, let alone a live birth. And so to say that every single embryo is a child is just factually incorrect, flies in the face of science, and it is an affront to the millions of babies that have been born through IVF and this process," Barbara Collura, President and CEO of infertility advocacy group Resolve, told Reuters.

On X, Vice President Kamala Harris called the decision "outrageous" and said it would rob "women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family."

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This decision is outrageous—and it is already robbing women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family. <a href="https://t.co/N04pReaM2B">https://t.co/N04pReaM2B</a>
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1760417615019757924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Criticising the decision, the White House, said it would create chaos for American families.&nbsp;

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the decision reflected the consequences of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and blamed Republican elected officials from blocking access to reproductive and emergency care to women.

"This president and this vice president will continue to fight to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state," he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alabamas-largest-hospital-pauses-ivf-after-sc-says-frozen-embryos-are-children-692515">Alabama's largest hospital pauses IVF after SC says frozen embryos are children</a>

In the upcoming elections, abortion rights is likely to be a key issue. On one hand, Democrats are likely to utilise it to draw more Democrats and some independent and Republican voters to US President Joe Biden.

His likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, however, is known for his anti-abortion stand, and has gone as far to take credit for the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Polls have shown that most voters oppose candidates who favour strict abortion restrictions. Will the issue sway the 2024 US Presidential elections? Only time will tell.

(With inputs from agencies)

In the United States, Nikki Haley, a Republican Presidential hopeful has courted controversy by stating that she believes frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) were babies.

In the United States, Nikki Haley, a Republican Presidential hopeful has courted controversy by stating that she believes frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) were babies. Her comments echo a recent controversial ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court. Haley, the last major 2024 Republican presidential challenger to frontrunner Donald Trump, has added fuel to the debate over the status of embryos in IVF procedures and the legal implications of considering them as children. With the 2024 presidential race gaining heat in the US, the issue is likely to remain contentious. Here's all you need to know about the 'embryos are babies' issue. What is IVF, and what are embryos? IVF or In-vitro fertilisation is a popular fertilisation method available to childless individuals. It uses eggs from a biologically female individual and sperm from a biologically male person to create embryos. Here, embryos refer to the initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In humans, the term embryo is used to refer to a pregnancy until the end of the seventh week following conception. IVF combines egg and sperm to grow embryos in the culture medium until they are implanted in the uterus. Alabama Supreme court ruling on embryos On Friday (Feb 16), the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under the state's laws, and that they are entitled to the same right as other unborn children. Also read | US: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are 'children' Passing the 7-2 majority ruling, Justice Jay Mitchell wrote "Unborn children are 'children'… without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics". The ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court was issued in response to wrongful death cases involving destroyed embryos. In 2021, a patient at a fertility clinic in Mobile had allegedly broken into an IVF freezer and dropped several trays containing embryos. The case was brought against the fertility clinic, and after the top court ruling, three couples can now sue the facility for wrongful death. Nikki Haley's comments On Wednesday (Feb 21), speaking during a TV interview with NBC News, the presidential candidate addressing the Alabama court ruling remarked, "Embryos, to me, are babies." "When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me, that's a life. And so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that," said Haley. However, when asked about the potential ramifications of the decision, she chose a softer approach and said: "This is one where we need to be incredibly respectful and sensitive about it." Also read | 'Embryos are babies': Nikki Haley agrees with Alabama Supreme Court's IVF ruling In another interview later the same day — with CNN, she clarified that her remarks didn't mean she agreed with the court ruling. "I didn't say that I agreed with the Alabama ruling," she said, adding "Our goal is to always do what the parents want with their embryo. It is theirs." Nikki has campaigned as an anti-abortion presidential contender, reports ABC News. However, seeking to differentiate herself from the Republican field, she tends to voice a less strict tone on the issue. Concerns over the court ruling The Alabama Supreme Court ruling on embryos has raised concerns among IVF patients and doctors, with some unsure about how to proceed with treatments. Following the ruling, the University of Alabama at Birmingham has temporarily stopped IVF treatments due to fears of legal repercussions and said: "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." Watch | Are frozen embryos Children? Alabama Supreme Court gives first-of-its-kind decision × The decision has been met with criticism, from experts who warn that it could have a devastating impact on people suffering from infertility and hoping to utilise IVF. "We know for all these years that we've been doing IVF not only in the United States, but around the world, there is no moment of conception. This is a group of cells. We know that not every embryo even gets to a stage of several days, let alone a live birth. And so to say that every single embryo is a child is just factually incorrect, flies in the face of science, and it is an affront to the millions of babies that have been born through IVF and this process," Barbara Collura, President and CEO of infertility advocacy group Resolve, told Reuters. On X, Vice President Kamala Harris called the decision "outrageous" and said it would rob "women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family." This decision is outrageous—and it is already robbing women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family. https://t.co/N04pReaM2B — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 21, 2024 × Criticising the decision, the White House, said it would create chaos for American families. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the decision reflected the consequences of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and blamed Republican elected officials from blocking access to reproductive and emergency care to women. "This president and this vice president will continue to fight to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state," he added. Also read | Alabama's largest hospital pauses IVF after SC says frozen embryos are children In the upcoming elections, abortion rights is likely to be a key issue. On one hand, Democrats are likely to utilise it to draw more Democrats and some independent and Republican voters to US President Joe Biden. His likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, however, is known for his anti-abortion stand, and has gone as far to take credit for the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Polls have shown that most voters oppose candidates who favour strict abortion restrictions. Will the issue sway the 2024 US Presidential elections? Only time will tell. (With inputs from agencies)

WION Explains: The 'embryos are babies' debate and how it will affect 2024 US Presidential elections

In a major breakthrough, scientists announced in Berlin on Wednesday (Jan 24) that they carried out the first successful in vitro fertilisation of a southern white rhino.&nbsp;

The significant development could help in saving this&nbsp;highly endangered species of rhinoceros as only two female northern white rhinos remain in existence—Najin and her daughter Fatu—but neither is capable of carrying a pregnancy to term.&nbsp;

Researchers from the international scientific consortium Biorescue are working on implanting a lab-grown northern white rhino embryo in a southern surrogate to save the functionally extinct species.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mysterious-jet-black-eggs-found-eggs-discovered-in-depths-of-the-pacific-683278">Mysterious jet-black eggs found in depths of Pacific Ocean; scientists perplexed</a>&nbsp;

Susanne Holtze, a scientist at Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Germany, which is part of the Biorescue project," told BBC: "To achieve the first successful embryo transfer in a rhino is a huge step."&nbsp;

"But now I think with this achievement, we are very confident that we will be able to create northern white rhinos in the same manner and that we will be able to save the species," Holtze added.&nbsp;

Once, the northern white rhinos were found across central Africa. They are relatively unaggressive and live in herds. However, uncontrolled hunting in the colonial era led to a major decline of white rhinos. In the current time, poaching for their horn is the main threat.&nbsp;

Project leader Thomas Hildebrandt said at the press conference in Berlin that the successful impregnation of a southern white rhino with an embryo of the same species was a "milestone".&nbsp;

Hildebrandt added, "We achieved something that was not believed to be possible."&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/worlds-smallest-tightest-knot-with-just-54-atoms-breaks-guinness-book-records-683128">World's smallest, tightest knot with just 54 atoms breaks Guinness record</a>&nbsp;

This comes after the successful recent trial, which ended tragically when the bull, surrogate, and foetus were all killed by an unrelated infection that scientists believe was caused by bacteria unleashed by a mudslide in their cage.&nbsp;

The scientists have said that the foetus was only 70 days old at the time, however, they were confident that it could have survived the 16-month pregnancy period.&nbsp;

The next step will see scientists try to repeat the feat with other embryos made with eggs harvested from the surviving females and sperm preserved from two long-dead males.&nbsp;

Hildebrandt said that the team aims to "produce northern white rhino calves in the next two to two-and-a-half years".&nbsp;

The delicate operation is then performed in just under an hour, with the surrogate under anaesthesia.&nbsp;

The team of experts had eggs from the surviving females since 2019—the elder of the two retired from the programme in 2021.&nbsp;

The last male, whose name was Sudan, died at the sanctuary in Kenya in 2018.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In a major breakthrough, scientists announced in Berlin on Wednesday (Jan 24) that they carried out the first successful in vitro fertilisation of a southern white rhino.

In a major breakthrough, scientists announced in Berlin on Wednesday (Jan 24) that they carried out the first successful in vitro fertilisation of a southern white rhino. The significant development could help in saving this highly endangered species of rhinoceros as only two female northern white rhinos remain in existence—Najin and her daughter Fatu—but neither is capable of carrying a pregnancy to term. Researchers from the international scientific consortium Biorescue are working on implanting a lab-grown northern white rhino embryo in a southern surrogate to save the functionally extinct species. Also read: Mysterious jet-black eggs found in depths of Pacific Ocean; scientists perplexed Susanne Holtze, a scientist at Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Germany, which is part of the Biorescue project," told BBC: "To achieve the first successful embryo transfer in a rhino is a huge step." "But now I think with this achievement, we are very confident that we will be able to create northern white rhinos in the same manner and that we will be able to save the species," Holtze added. Once, the northern white rhinos were found across central Africa. They are relatively unaggressive and live in herds. However, uncontrolled hunting in the colonial era led to a major decline of white rhinos. In the current time, poaching for their horn is the main threat. Project leader Thomas Hildebrandt said at the press conference in Berlin that the successful impregnation of a southern white rhino with an embryo of the same species was a "milestone". Hildebrandt added, "We achieved something that was not believed to be possible." Also read: World's smallest, tightest knot with just 54 atoms breaks Guinness record This comes after the successful recent trial, which ended tragically when the bull, surrogate, and foetus were all killed by an unrelated infection that scientists believe was caused by bacteria unleashed by a mudslide in their cage. The scientists have said that the foetus was only 70 days old at the time, however, they were confident that it could have survived the 16-month pregnancy period. The next step will see scientists try to repeat the feat with other embryos made with eggs harvested from the surviving females and sperm preserved from two long-dead males. Hildebrandt said that the team aims to "produce northern white rhino calves in the next two to two-and-a-half years". The delicate operation is then performed in just under an hour, with the surrogate under anaesthesia. The team of experts had eggs from the surviving females since 2019—the elder of the two retired from the programme in 2021. The last male, whose name was Sudan, died at the sanctuary in Kenya in 2018. (With inputs from agencies)

Major breakthrough: World’s first successful IVF could help save nearly extinct rhino species

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WION Explains: The 'embryos are babies' debate and how it will affect 2024 US Presidential elections

Major breakthrough: World’s first successful IVF could help save nearly extinct rhino species