What is surrogacy?

Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby an infertile couple commissions or designates a fertile healthy woman to carry a pregnancy for them. The agreement is such that after childbirth the surrogate woman or host hands over the child to the intended parents, thereby relinquishing any rights on the child. The commissioning couple is the legal parents of the child. Surrogacy has been legally approved for begetting a child for an infertile couple.

Who needs surrogacy or a surrogate mother?

A couple wherein the woman has any of the following conditions –

• Absence of a uterus but presence of functioning ovaries. The uterus may be absent from birth or very small or may have been removed due to disease or severe bleeding (hysterectomy).
• Repeated 2^nd trimester miscarriages in spite of all precautionary measures and treatment. 
• Repeated IVF’s with failure of the embryos to implant.
• Medical contraindications to pregnancy such as severe heart and renal disease.

Who could be a surrogate?

A surrogate mother may be anonymous or known i.e. relative or friend. A surrogate mother could also contribute her eggs in the in the formation of the embryo/fetus that she is carrying. This is possible through artificial insemination of the surrogate mother with sperms of the male partner of the intended parents. Other wise a surrogate could only carry the embryo/fetus conceived with gametes (egg and sperm) of the intended parents, through IVF.

Medical criteria for selection of a surrogate

Counseling

The surrogate mother, her partner as well as the intended parents need to go through extensive counseling where in their respective roles and responsibilities are defined. The surrogate mother needs to be made aware of the fact that she could have complications in pregnancy, which could endanger her health; she may need to go through invasive diagnostic tests, the process and complications of delivery etc. The methodology of issue of birth certificates, passport issues for overseas couples and other legal matters need to be handled prior to the treatment being undertaken.

Bangalore Assisted Conception Centre is one of the few clinics providing surrogacy treatment under ethical and legal guidelines. Please note that responsibilities of the center, only include medical screening of all parties concerned for medical problems and fertility potential, providing treatment for conception, and caring for the pregnancy and delivery. The center bears no responsibilities in other matters related to the surrogate and the couple, including selection of the surrogate mother. 

What we need to do as a society is to avoid commercialization of this avenue of treatment, which may be a last resort for many couples. Do not stand in judgment of the woman who has opted to be a surrogate. On the other hand she needs to be appreciated and supported for her decision and efforts in providing a child to a couple that have no other options at fertility.