Surrogate motherhood in India

Reuters on Monday examined the practice of surrogate motherhood in India, where surrogacy services are "far cheaper than in the West."

There are no official figures on the number of surrogate births in India, but it estimated that about 100 to 150 occur annually in India, with the number of failed surrogacy attempts estimated to be much higher, Reuters reports.

According to fertility specialist Gautam Allahbadia, it would cost $50,000 for a couple to have a child through a surrogate in the U.S., compared with $10,000 to $12,000 in India.

Fertility clinics in the country usually charge $2,000 to $3,000 for surrogacy services, and a surrogate mother usually is paid between $3,000 and $6,000.

Although money is the "primary motivator" for surrogate mothers in India, some experts say there is a "social dimension to their service," according to Reuters.

"Surrogate mothers are giving their (the eventual parents') lives a new meaning," gynecologist Deepak Kabir said.

The fertility industry in India is regulated by nonbinding guidelines issued by the country's medical research council.

However, some fertility specials adhere to their "own criteria" that says surrogate pregnancies can be performed only for childless couples who cannot conceive, Reuters reports.

In addition, surrogate mothers must be young, healthy and married with children, according to Reuters.

In India, the intended mother or a donor supplies the egg to reduce chances of the surrogate developing an emotional attachment to the infant, according to some doctors.

In addition, both parties sign a contract to avoid possible custody battles after birth.

Some critics have said that surrogate births in India should be more strictly controlled, according to Reuters.

"Every pregnancy and birth is associated with some health risk," C.P. Puri, director of India's National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, said, adding, "We must not promote surrogacy as a trade."

In addition, many surrogate mothers in India face issues associated with "traditional attitudes to sex and procreation," according to Reuters (Mukherjee, Reuters, 2/5).