Babies born with egg and sperm from three people could soon become a reality as the U.K. government has released details of the process.

According to BBC News, a three-person in vitro fertilization (IVF) could eliminate debilitating birth defects and diseases. Critics of the procedure say it is unethical medically and will lead to "designer babies."

The process would take either an egg or sperm from a third person and give them to an unborn child to make up for deficiencies that could lead to potentially fatal conditions. One in every 65,000 babies is born with a severe mitochondrial disease, which can lead to depleted energy, muscle fatigue, blindness, heart failure and even death.

"I am delighted that the government has published the draft regulations," Doug Turnbull, a mitochondrial researcher at the University of Newcastle, told BBC News. "This is very good news for patients with mitochondrial DNA disease and an important step in the prevention of transmission of serious mitochondrial disease."

The U.K. Department of Health already is in favor of the procedure and is reportedly seeking ways to put it into practice. The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, regulators of the procedure, will have to classify the risk of a debilitating disease as "serious" to OK it for a mother. They estimate about 10 procedures would take place per year.

Dr. David King, the director of Human Genetics Alert, said he did not think the subject had been debated thoroughly enough to be gain the government's support.

"If passed, this will be the first time any government has legalised inheritable human genome modification, something that is banned in all other European countries," he told BBC News. "The techniques are unethical according to basic medical ethics, since their only advantage over standard and safe egg donation is that the mother is genetically related to her child.

"This cannot justify the unknown risks to the child or the social consequences of allowing human genome modification."

Sally Davies, England's chief medical officer, said in a statement that she supports the procedure.

"Allowing mitochondrial donation would give women who carry severe mitochondrial disease the opportunity to have children without passing on devastating genetic disorders," she said. "It would also keep the UK at the forefront of scientific development in this area.

"I want to encourage contributions to this consultation so that we have as many views as possible before introducing our final regulations."