Mrs Sara Connell and her husband Bill are no strangers to heartache. They began trying to have a family in 2004 when she was 28 but found that she was not ovulating. After IVF they tragically suffered a miscarriage and then in a subsequent attempt lost their infant twin sons who were stillborn.
It was then that Mrs Connell and her mother, Kristine Casey, decided that they would try interfamilial surrogacy.
An egg and sperm from Sara and Bill were fertilized to create an embryo, which was then implanted into Mrs Casey’s uterus. At 61 years of age and 39 weeks pregnant she delivered a healthy baby boy by caesarean section, named Finnean Lee. This made her both his legal mother (because she gave birth) and his grandmother.
Now the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology and their Task Force on Ethics and Law have given intrafamilial surrogacy the green light and say that some cases are morally acceptable.
Why Choose Intrafamilial Surrogacy?
Some couples choose to keep surrogacy in the family because waiting lists for donors are so long. They may not like the idea of using a surrogate from an agency for fear that she might change her mind and keep the baby. They may not like the anonymity of commercial surrogacy and want their child to know and have a relationship with the donor or surrogate. This type of surrogacy means that the resulting child will know his or her biological roots and not be faced with searching questions when older, such as who he is or where he came from.
Why is Intrafamilial Surrogacy Controversial?
In some countries, intrafamilial surrogacy is illegal as it is classed as incestuous and laws against it are in place to protect children from genetic disorders.
Even in countries where it is legal, there are risks to the family involved. There may be conflict if the couple raise their child in a different way to how the surrogate would have done. The medical community are also concerned with the psychological effects of an interfamilial arrangement on the child. The child may be confused about his role within the family and his relationships with his parents and the surrogate.
Intrafamilial Surrogacy is Morally Acceptable
"Doctors should assess any possible psychosocial and medical risks related to the treatment," says Dr. Wybo Dondorp, deputy coordinator of the Task Force. "Doctors must therefore consider the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence together and aim at producing net benefit over harm for all parties involved."
The task force suggested discussing strategies for running the family set up in pre-treatment counselling and also suggested that genetic testing should be done routinely prior to any intrafamilial surrogacy agreement.
The group concluded:
‘In some situations intrafamilial medically assisted reproduction (IMAR) is morally acceptable as long as counseling of recipients and collaborators is applied in order to reduce potential psychosocial and medical risks. The group encourages more research into the psychosocial implications of IMAR to contribute to adequate and moral guidance.’
Source: Medically assisted reproduction within families: A position paper by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, ESHRE Press Release, January 2011.
The Daily Mail, 14th February 2011.
Joanna Karpasea-Jones - I have been a health writer since 1997 when I published my own newsletter, SHOTS. I have written 2 books on childhood health, and write ...
