Outsourcing Pregnancy

Photo by Henna by Heather - Mehndi in Boston/Providence M

Is there any outsourcing need India is unable to meet? Apparently, not, at least when it comes to surrogate pregnancies, according to this very informative Time article:

India has become the world capital of outsourced pregnancies, whereby surrogates are implanted with foreign embryos and paid to carry the resultant babies to term. In 2002 the country legalized commercial surrogacy in an effort to promote medical tourism, a sector the Confederation of Indian Industry predicts will generate $2.3 billion annually by 2012. Indian surrogate mothers are readily available and cheap. Unlike most countries in which surrogacy is lawful — and bucking the norm in heavily bureaucratic India — the procedure can take place without reams of government red tape.

Pregnancy Spacing

Photo by freeparking

If you want to have more than one child, how long should you wait between pregnancies?

According to the results of a study from India, [b]irth intervals of less than 18 months are associated with high risk of stillbirth and neonatal deaths, while [a] birth-to-pregnancy interval of 24 months is optimal.

The researchers conclude:

"Postpartum family planning should be promoted for all women, and methods both for spacing and limiting birth should be widely accessible"....

If the political climate in India is anything like the one here, good luck with translating that recommendation into practice.