--- title: World's First Baby Born With DNA From Three Parents description: In a world first, a baby has been born with DNA from three biological parents canonical: https://time.com/4509565/worlds-first-baby-born-with-dna-from-three-parents/ author: Kate Samuelson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-27T15:06:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T18:40:39.000Z article:section: Health og:title: World's First Baby Born With DNA From Three Parents og:description: In a world first, a baby has been born with DNA from three biological parents og:url: https://time.com/4509565/worlds-first-baby-born-with-dna-from-three-parents/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: World's First Baby Born With DNA From Three Parents twitter:description: In a world first, a baby has been born with DNA from three biological parents twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # World's First Baby Born With DNA From Three Parents > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=7f1836b1-b049-4c48-a851-a2e82d2c6661&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: How CRISPR DNA-Editing Works [Watch (HLS stream): How CRISPR DNA-Editing Works](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xeP3Y87P.m3u8) (2:22)  _Published 2016-06-22. A brief guide to a ground-breaking new technology._ by [Kate Samuelson](https://time.com/author/kate-samuelson/) ## Kate Samuelson Updated: Dec 13, 2023 6:40 PM UTCPublished: Sep 27, 2016 3:06 PM UTC by [Kate Samuelson](https://time.com/author/kate-samuelson/) ## Kate Samuelson Updated: Dec 13, 2023 6:40 PM UTCPublished: Sep 27, 2016 3:06 PM UTC In a world first, a [baby](http://time.com/4401117/watch-this-baby-work-out-just-like-sylvester-stallone-in-rocky/) has been born with [DNA](http://time.com/4426572/exercise-dna-telomeres/) from three biological parents. The 5-month-old boy, born to Jordanian parents, was conceived with the help of a U.S. team based in Mexico using a controversial technique that allows parents with rare genetic mutations to have healthy babies, the [_New Scientist_](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2107219-exclusive-worlds-first-baby-born-with-new-3-parent-technique/?cmpid=SOC%7CNSNS%7C2016-Echobox&utm%5Fcampaign=Echobox&utm%5Fmedium=Social&utm%5Fsource=Twitter#link%5Ftime=1474985189) reports. The mother carries genes for Leigh syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by the degeneration of the central nervous system; the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve. Although she is healthy, her first two children died because of Leigh syndrome, so she sought out the help of the New Hope Fertility Center in New York. Doctors at the center carried out a ‘spindle nuclear transfer’, where they removed the nucleus from one of her eggs and inserted it into a donor egg which had had its nucleus removed. The resulting egg was then fertilized with the father’s sperm. An embryo was then implanted in the mother – and, nine months later, their baby son was born. When the boy was tested for Leigh syndrome, reseachers found less than 1% of his mitochondria (tiny structures found in cells) carried the mutation. He will continue to be monitored by doctors to make sure the levels remain as low. “Generally it is thought to take around 18% of mitochondria to be affected before problems start,” says the _New Scientist_. \[[_New Scientist_](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2107219-exclusive-worlds-first-baby-born-with-new-3-parent-technique/?cmpid=SOC%7CNSNS%7C2016-Echobox&utm%5Fcampaign=Echobox&utm%5Fmedium=Social&utm%5Fsource=Twitter#link%5Ftime=1474985189)\] _Update: This story originally included the names of the child and parents. TIME removed them post-publication, at the request of the New Hope clinic_ ## Transcript [00:00] To understand CRISPR gene editing, let's start with [00:03] what is DNA. Handed down [00:07] from generation to generation, every cell in your body [00:11] carries a copy of your genetic code called your [00:14] genome. It's made up of DNA. It's [00:19] like a book that describes A book made up of three [00:22] billion letters arranged in different sequences that [00:26] make up DNA words. These words can influence the [00:29] traits that you take on, athletic, intelligent, [00:37] gifted. Recently, [00:42] computers have deciphered the entire human genos [00:45] and have identified genetic mutations behind diseases [00:48] that currently have no cure [ MUSIC ] [00:57] With Crisper we can edit DNA. Crisper is a man- made [01:01] molecule that can be programmed to find mutated or [01:05] diseased DNA. [ MUSIC ] [01:16] It's also equipped with a pair of molecular scissors. So [01:19] once Crisper finds it's target DNA, it can snip that [01:23] section from the genome. [ MUSIC ] [01:30] Sometimes the body can repair itself. Other [01:35] times, scientists can patch it with corrected letters. If [01:41] this happens in eggs, sperm, or embryonic cells, the [01:45] changes will be permanent and passed on to future [01:48] generations. Crisper is already showing promise. [01:53] It's being used to cut out the HIV virus. Eliminate [01:57] Huntington's disease from the brain and even alter a [02:00] mosquito's genome so it's less likely to spread malaria [02:03] and zikka. Chrisper could lead to a new world of [02:07] treatments, curing diseases and even eliminating them. [02:11] So future generations won't ever have to suffer from [02:14] them again. 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