America’s childmaking market is a legal and ethical minefield

WHEN THE man who had paid Melissa Cook to bear three embryos, created from his sperm and the egg of an anonymous donor, informed her that he had run out of money and she would have to abort at least one, she refused. Her worry that he would not be able to look after the children grew when she learned that the surrogacy broker she had used in California had not properly checked the man’s ability to be a parent. She sued, arguing that the state law authorising surrogacy contracts was unconstitutional because it treats babies “as a commodity or as chattel”. This and successive attempts to retain her parental rights failed. When the triplets were born Ms Cook was not allowed to see them.