Tests on 'Eve' undecided

The parents of 'Eve', claimed to be the world's first cloned human were unsure whether to allow DNA testing on the child. "The parents said they needed 48 hours to decide on the tests," said Dr Boisselier.

The parents of a newborn named 'Eve', claimed to be the world's first cloned human, are balking on whether to allow DNA testing on the child, said the head of the cloning company that says it brought the baby to life.

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Many experts have expressed skepticism about the company's claim that the baby was a clone, saying they needed to see a DNA matching as proof.

"The parents told me that they needed 48 hours to decide yes or no, if they would do it," Brigitte Boisselier told French television station France-2 in an interview on Thursday.

Boisselier is chief executive of Clonaid, which is linked to a religious sect the Raelians that believes space aliens created life on Earth. Clonaid has refused to identify the parents or offer any proof that the child, nicknamed "Eve", is a clone. The company had promised DNA test results to confirm their claim by around the end of this week.

Boisselier told France-2 that the parents were reconsidering whether to submit to testing because of legal action taken in Florida that could result in the cloned child being taken away from them.

"That is a lot of turbulence for the parents (who) have gone home and just want to have some peace and spend time with their children," said Boisselier.

Clonaid retains philosophical but not economic ties to the Raelians, the company says.