Singapore Should Pass Laws to Ban Surrogacy

It is unsettling that there is ambiguity about the legality of surrogacy here, especially when surrogacy has been shown to have a negative impact on children. (“Greater clarity needed on legality of surrogacy in S’pore: Lawyers”; Aug 14)

The Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge published a study last year, having followed 30 families who had used a surrogate, 31 who had used egg donation, 35 who had used donor sperm and 53 who had conceived naturally.

It showed that surrogate children were more likely to suffer depression than those carried by their real mother.

The professor who led the research said: “Signs of adjustment problems could be behaviour problems, such as aggressive or antisocial behaviour, or emotional problems, such as anxiety or depression.”

Some people who were born from surrogacy arrangements have questioned the practice.

For example, the blogger of The Other Side of Surrogacy wrote: “I’d love to see couples who are considering these methods to pause and ask themselves, is this really what’s in the best interest of a child?”

To promote the best interests of children, Singapore should follow Thailand’s lead and pass laws to ban surrogacy.

Authored by: Lam Jer-Gen

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/voices/surrogacy-not-best-interests-children