India's first surrogate in vitro fertilization (IVF) baby of a single parent has been born in a city clinic, raising questions about the newborn's legal status and the single father's parenthood rights.
Amit Banerjee, whose childless marriage had ended in divorce years ago, is apparently the country's first single father whose son was born through IVF method this Sunday."I am feeling proud. People think that couples go to these clinics only when either of the two has a fertility problem. But the crux of the matter is that I wanted a child and I needed the help of others for that," said 45-year-old Banerjee, a chartered accountant by profession.
The baby was born under the supervision of Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar of GD Institute for Fertility Research.
In this unique process involving three people besides the doctor, one oocyte donor woman was counselled and used for the collection of eggs and was given hormone injections to produce multiple eggs.The maturity of the eggs was monitored by serial transvaginal ultrasound and blood oestrogen. Subsequently, the eggs were collected by ultrasound guided aspiration.
Simultaneously, the second woman, acting as the surrogate, was being prepared for cycle synchronisation with the donor. The retrieved eggs were fertilised by the father's spermatozoa by IVF technology and transferred to the uterus of the surrogate mother.
IMA president Sudipto Roy said he could comment on legal matters, "but from medical point of view this case is unique and an achievement itself". While Amit Banerjee is not worried about the law having benefited from surrogacy, legal experts said he would have to adopt the son despite being his biological father.
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Source: Indo-Asian News Service
