Surrogate Mother

Parent and Child Surrogacy

Introduction to Surrogate Mother

Surrogate motherhood has become one of the most difficult problems in modern family law. The term surrogate mother was first used in connection with in vitro fertilization (see Infertility) in the late 1970s. The newest use refers to the introduction, by artificial insemination, of the sperm of a man whose wife is infertile into a woman who has agreed, often by contract, to bear the child conceived as a result of the insemination and then relinquish it to the couple after birth.

One argument against surrogacy is that it is little more than formalized baby selling. The counter-argument is that surrogacy is not baby selling because the husband of the couple receiving the child is that child’s biological father. Many state legislatures are considering bills that would either make surrogate parenting entirely illegal or strictly regulate it, for example, limiting or prohibiting the payment of fees to the surrogate or to intermediaries. Most would require psychological counseling for the prospective surrogate mother, legal representation for all parties, and court approval of the contract.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

Information about Surrogate Mother in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Surrogate Mother

Hierarchical Display of Surrogate mother

Social Questions > Family > Artificial reproduction