The number of embryos that can be implanted during in vitro fertilisation may be cut to reduce the number of multiple births and protect the health of mothers and babies.
The Council on Human Reproductive Technology, which licenses and regulates the area, is looking at the issue amid fresh ethical and health concerns as the technology improves. It says a review is needed of the code of practice for the city's 50-plus service providers.
This week it emerged that a surrogate mother was used in the birth of Henderson Land Development's vice-chairman Peter Lee Ka-kit's triplet sons, raising ethical concerns.
The eldest son of Henderson chairman Lee Shau-kee, Peter Lee, 47, is a bachelor and devout Buddhist. He reportedly hired a California-based surrogacy agent but further details are unknown.
In response to the media attention, Lee said in a statement last night: 'Raising children is one of life's most important matters. Family life is respected in our society and protected by law. I hope that friends from different sectors of society will allow me and my three sons some privacy.'
Even before Lee's case, the council was investigating worries arising from the technology. Doctors say the conventional practice of implanting a couple of embryos into a woman's womb during IVF to increase the chances of pregnancy is no long necessary as better technology has improved the quality of embryos. They say multiple pregnancies can harm women's health, while their babies may be at higher risk of prenatal death or impaired development.
Speaking on Monday - before the news of Lee's three sons - council chairman Gregory Leung Wing-lup said it would review the maximum number of embryos that can be implanted for IVF. It will also study ethical issues on the use of sperm or eggs from designated donors.
