Surrogacy Babies Stuck Due to Lockdown

With the nationwide lockdown, which was necessitated to keep a check on the spread of coronavirus, babies born of surrogacy are stuck in Gujarat as their biological parents can't travel to take them h

“Surrogacy” means, due to medical problems, the mother is not able to carry the womb in her body. In these cases, the sperm and the egg of the father and mother are fertilized in the lab and then inserted into another woman. This lady carries the womb for 9 months. On the birth of the baby, the baby is given away to the biological. Surrogacy usually costs about Rs. 8 lakhs. The nation is under lockdown since 25th March 2020. It has been extended twice and it may end on 14th May 2020. During a lockdown, all air, rail, and road transport are banned. Due to the lockdown, many parents are not able to take their babies who are born through surrogacy.

This is a difficult situation for the new parents and the doctors/centers both. The doctors have to now take care of these babies. Anand in Gujarat is called ‘surrogacy hub’. In one of the centers, Akanksha Infertility Center, 27 babies were born during the lockdown. Only 10 babies have been handed over to the biological parents. Dr. Nayna Patel said that their staff and NICU doctors were taking care of the babies. The doctors answer the phone calls of parents for hours. The parents are also under emotional stress.

One couple on 16th April from Bengaluru reached Anand. Just before the birth of their son. They traveled 1,600 KM for 3 days by road. They were stopped at many check posts at Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Some police did not believe that they were going to Gujarat for the birth of their child as the wife

Was not pregnant. When they reached Anand, locals did not allow them as they were scared of coronavirus infection. They created a human chain to stop them. Finally, after the administration helped, the problem was solved. They were kept in quarantine for 14 days and then they were allowed to meet their son.

Another couple from Pune was not lucky as they were not able to travel to Gujarat. Pune is the hot spot for COVID-19. This couple had waited for 12 years to get a baby. They finally got a baby through surrogacy but were not able to meet the baby. The clinic sends photos and videos of the baby, for the parents, it is not enough. The clinic charges per day. This is also troubling the parents.

Even in Delhi, it is the same. Dr. Shivani Sachdev Gour, Founder of SCI IVF Hospital said that through

surrogacy, 4 babies were born in April. But only 2 babies were handed over to parents. The other 2 parents – one from Rajasthan and one from UP were not able to see their babies. There are many parents from abroad. They do not know when they will be able to see their babies. They will not be able to travel all over the world, air travel is banned. We this situation ends soon and the new parents are united with their babies.

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