The technique could prevent mitochondrial diseases but also raises significant ethical issues.
Passage of the law is opposed by Catholic and Anglican church leaders, in part because the process involves the destruction of an embryo.
One in 6,500 babies in the United Kingdom are thought to develop a serious mitochondrial disorder, which can lead to health issues such as heart and liver disease, respiratory problems, blindness and muscular dystrophy.
Problems with mitochondria, the “powerhouse” cells of the body, are inherited from the mother, so the proposed IVF treatment would mean an affected woman could have a baby without passing on mitochondrial disease.
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This equates to an average of 152 births per year in the UK, and 778 births per year in the United States, the team said.
In a Newcastle University news release, Turnbull said his team’s findings had considerable implications for other countries considering the technique. Allowing it would give “women who carry these mutations greater reproductive choice,” he said.
CNN’s Alexander Felton and Debra Goldschmidt contributed to this report.
