How to protect the rights of babies born for foreign couples in Ukraine: BioTexCom shares its experience
“Another foreign couple who came to Ukraine “for a child” refused the baby born for them” – Internet and media pages are full of such headlines from time to time. There’s no secret that a foreign couples hoping to become parents massively come to Ukraine, where the programs of surrogacy and egg donation are legal. In all honesty, let’s admit that every parent wants to have his/her own healthy child, in other words, foreign couples want to have guarantees, and some of them think that “those who pay the piper call the tune”.
So, they impose their conditions on clinics where they want to participate in a particular program. Some small intermediary agencies give in to potential parents and neither conduct a detailed PGD, nor conclude agreements with parents on which basis they are obliged to take the born baby with them in their country, etc. As a result, we have sad events when the babies are abandoned, and they end up in orphanages.
BiоTexCom Center for Human Reproduction is scrupulous about protecting the rights of parents and unborn babies. The most important point is the mandatory PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnostic) of embryos, in which the clinic has extensive experience. Embryos are examined at a very high level: this genetic study is carried out before transplantation into the uterus and avoids the transfer of embryos with chromosomal abnormalities, such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). Moreover, potential parents can choose the gender of their unborn baby. Thus, the probability of having a baby with genetic abnormalities is minimized. No one can completely eliminate the possibility of complications associated with the birth of a child, even in highly developed countries. The process of childbirth itself is complicated both for a completely healthy “ordinary” mother and for a surrogate mother. Even after the birth of an absolutely healthy baby, the risk of his death or pathologies progression is quite high in the first month of the newborn’s life. Indeed, according to the WHO statistics, the most common complications for a baby during labour are birth asphyxia (choking), secondary infections, and preterm delivery: these are world statistics of “ordinary” births. Regarding surrogacy: if there is one such situation per thousand births, then the clinic covers all the necessary expenses for treating a child in Ukraine. As well as for the accommodation of parents during the entire period of the baby stay in the hospital, until the child is discharged and can go home with them. Thus, we make it clear that the medical expenses that we incur are solely related to the child’s stay in the Ukrainian hospital.
The main requirement for participation in the egg donation or surrogacy program is the conclusion of an agreement with foreign parents, according to which they are obliged to take the child after his birth with them from Ukraine to their country. In order to protect the rights of unborn babies, foreign couples wishing to become parents must understand the seriousness of their intentions and the extent of responsibility.
Therefore, intended parents are required to undergo an examination with a psychologist who consults the couple and finds out whether they are ready to become parents at all, not only physiologically, but also to be responsible for the unborn baby.
