Obstetrics

The tragic outcome of the birth of a newborn baby girl at Amfissa General Hospital has caused a storm of reactions and countless questions surrounding the circumstances that led to her death. At the centre of it all, a family who saw their dreams shattered and a local community demanding answers as to whether this tragedy could have been prevented.

Emotional moments unfolded for a family in Heraklion, Crete, where a 55-year-old grandmother became a surrogate mother for her daughter, bringing a healthy baby boy into the world. This case is one of the rare occurrences in both Greece and worldwide.

A tragic incident occurred at the private "Eva" hospital in Sliven, Bulgaria, where a baby died in its mother's womb, leaving her to carry the deceased fetus for 18 hours. The 31-year-old woman, pregnant for the fourth time, was in a full-term state when her condition deteriorated.

Most mothers remember that they started paying for their child before they even gave birth to it. They paid for the gynecologist, some specialized tests, nutritional supplements, the private maternity hospital, the midwife. If they had to do IVF, the financial burden was even greater.

Forced marriage, illegal adoption and the exploitation of surrogacy are criminalised

The Vatican has issued a strong condemnation of gender reassignment surgery and surrogacy, labeling them as "serious threats" to human dignity. In a document titled Dignitas Infinita ("Infinite Dignity"), approved by Pope Francis, these practices are equated with abortion and euthanasia, violating what is perceived as God's plan.

A new law in Greece allows same-sex couples to marry but excludes them from future parenthood through surrogate mothers, which could lead to it being challenged in court, according to legal experts.

L.D., aged 32, gave birth to twins by caesarean section in September. The midwives did not place the newborns on her chest, as is customary. There were other arms waiting for them with anxiety, love and emotion, a few floors above. Those of 37-year-old F.P. and her husband. They had been trying to become parents for years but one miscarriage followed another. F.P.

As Zoran Paali pointed out in an interview for Politika, women from all over Serbia - from Subotica to Kosovska Mitrovica - came forward to report the inconveniences they experienced during childbirth.

Ahead of the government's submission of a bill on same-sex marriage to Parliament, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece sent a letter to 300 MPs reiterating its opposition, stressing the damage it will wreak on the institution of the family and children.