The Fertility Center of Orlando in Longwood is facing a second lawsuit this month after an infant born to a surrogate died 10 days after birth. The complaint claims the baby was born with severe birth defects and argues that clinic staff failed to properly screen the surrogate. The new case lands while the clinic is already under intense scrutiny for an unrelated IVF embryo mix-up reported earlier this year.
New Suit Zeroes In On Screening Lapses
According to WFTV, the filing states the infant was born with severe defects and died 10 days later, and it alleges the clinic failed to properly vet the surrogate before moving forward with the pregnancy. The complaint names the Longwood-based Fertility Center of Orlando and seeks accountability for the alleged screening failures.
Clinic Already Tangled In IVF Embryo Mix-Up Case
As reported by WESH, the clinic was sued in January after DNA testing in a separate case showed a newborn delivered through the center's IVF services was not genetically related to the parents who carried the child. That earlier IVF mix-up has already triggered emergency court filings and status hearings as lawyers and judges try to sort out who is related to whom.
What Earlier Court Papers Reveal
Documents from the earlier action, including a copy of the complaint posted online, show plaintiffs asked judges for emergency injunctive relief, such as immediate notification of past patients and clinic-funded genetic testing for children born after embryo transfers, per the court filing. Those filings also outline two possible time windows when attorneys say the alleged embryo error may have occurred.
How The Clinic Has Responded So Far
Reporting by People notes the clinic has said it is cooperating with investigations into the earlier mix-up. The clinic's website lists its Longwood practice and contact information on the Fertility Center of Orlando contact page. Available reports say lawyers for the center have cited patient-privacy rules as a limit on what can be disclosed publicly while investigators review records.
Legal And Regulatory Fallout In Play
The earlier complaint illustrates how plaintiffs can deploy emergency motions to preserve records and compel testing while a court works through questions of parentage and lab procedures, according to the public filings. Public licensing and facility records show the Fertility Center of Orlando operates under an active office-surgery registration in Longwood with the Florida Department of Health, and any separate regulatory action would have to follow formal administrative complaints through the agency, per the state's license verification system on the Florida DOH.
Details in the new surrogate-death lawsuit are still sparse in public reporting. WFTV's March 25 report is the first local story to flag the suit publicly. Hoodline will continue tracking court dockets and local coverage as the case develops and will update with new filings, hearing dates, and official statements when they surface.
