In recent years, surrogacy has become a viable option for individuals and couples facing various medical challenges on their journey to parenthood. Although, the Indian surrogacy laws have only been recently amended to allow couples to use donor cells and for widowed and divorced women to seek surrogacy, it can be a godsend for millions of people struggling to conceive.
Simply put, surrogacy is the process by which a surrogate mother bears the fetus of another couple or individual till conception, as per Yale Medicine’s definition. This arrangement involves a woman getting pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Talking to the OnlyMyHealth team Dr Rita Bakshi, Senior Gynaecologist & IVF Expert, RiSAA IVF shared that while surrogacy is often associated with infertility, there are several medical conditions beyond infertility where surrogacy may be recommended as a viable path to parenthood.
When Is Surrogacy Recommended?
Dr Bakshi said, “Surrogacy allows couples or individuals to build families, empowering them to ethically and legally have children. This is a very hopeful process for those desiring biological children.”
While surrogacy offers hope to same-sex couples, and single mothers and people (unfortunately that is not the case in India yet), Dr Bakshi shared that there are some medical conditions which make pregnancy a tough option:
Uterine Factor Infertility
Uterine factor infertility refers to conditions where a woman's uterus is absent, abnormal, or unable to sustain an embryo implantation pregnancy. According to MDPI’s Journal of Clinical Medicine, this can result from conditions such as absence of the uterus since birth, uterine malformations, or previous hysterectomy.
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Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Researchers from the Columbia School of Medicine listed some causes which may lead to recurrent pregnancy loss:
- Chromosomal abnormalities
- Autoimmune disorders
- Untreated hypothyroidism
- Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
- Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS)
By using a surrogate, the intended parents can bypass the risks associated with carrying a pregnancy to term themselves, increasing the chances of a successful pregnancy and healthy birth.
Maternal Health Concerns
Certain maternal health conditions, such as severe heart disease, diabetes, or autoimmune disorders, may pose significant risks to both the mother and the fetus during pregnancy. In such cases, opting for surrogacy allows the intended parents to protect the health and well-being of both the child and the biological mother by having a surrogate carry the pregnancy to term.
Severe Endometriosis
According to the World Health Organisation, endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, and can cause infertility and pregnancy complications. In cases of severe endometriosis where carrying a pregnancy to term may pose risks to the mother or affect the success of conception, surrogacy offers an alternative.
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Surrogacy serves as a valuable option for individuals and couples facing various medical conditions that may hinder their ability to conceive, carry a pregnancy to term, or ensure a healthy outcome for both the child and the biological mother. By working with a surrogate, intended parents can fulfil their dreams of parenthood while navigating the complexities of medical challenges with the guidance of fertility specialists and reproductive health professionals.