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ABC News July 7, 2019

Couple claims they gave birth to other couples' babies after IVF mix-up, lawsuit says

WATCH: Couple claims they gave birth to other couples' babies after IVF mix-up: Lawsuit

A New York couple filed a federal lawsuit against a fertility clinic claiming they gave birth to twins that were not biologically theirs.

The couple said they spent more than $100,000 on treatment and other expenses at CHA Fertility Center in Los Angeles after countless attempts to conceive a child, but they ended up giving birth to twins that belonged to two other couples, according to a lawsuit.

Identified in court papers only as Y.Z. and A.P., the couple said they were shocked in March when they gave birth and realized that the children weren’t of Asian descent, as they are. DNA testing eventually proved that the twins, both boys, weren’t related to them or each other, the lawsuit states.

PHOTO: An embryo culture dish used for in vitro fertilisation is pictured in an undated stock photo.
STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images
An embryo culture dish used for in vitro fertilization is pictured in an undated stock photo.

The twins actually belonged to two other couples who were also clients of the hospital. Y.Z. and A.P., who married in 2012, said they were required to give up custody, “thus suffering the loss of two children,” according to the lawsuit.

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Now, they’re seeking compensatory damages, accusing the hospital of medical malpractice, negligence, breach of contract and more than a dozen other counts.

They said they "suffered significant and permanent injuries for which they will not recover."

A.P., the mother, "underwent physical and emotional injuries for which she is still under the treatment of medical providers and will continue to be in the future," the suit said.

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The hospital hasn’t offered details on what may have happened to their embryos that were supposed to be transferred, according to the lawsuit.

CHA Fertility Center did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.