Obstetrics

One obscure fact out of the devastating quake that struck Nepal over the weekend is the fact that the Himalayan country is used by many same-sex couples in Israel for surrogate pregnancies.

Britain could become the first country in the world to allow the creation of IVF babies with DNA from three parents on Feb. 3 in a move that has divided campaigners and religious leaders.
      
Lawmakers in parliament are set to vote on mitochondrial DNA donation techniques aimed at preventing serious inherited diseases.
      

The Church of Greece’s Holy Synod said Thursday that it supports couples having IVF treatment but is against mothers aborting their babies, regardless of whether the children have been diagnosed as having physical or mental problems.

Maternal deaths have fallen by 45% worldwide since 1990, statistics of the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO) show.

Over half a million women died during childbirth in 1990, while in 2013 the figure was 289,000.

An increasing number of Greek couples who are unable to have children naturally are seeking surrogate mothers to bear their offspring, experts say.

Although there are no concrete figures, dozens of Greek couples are exploring the option of surrogacy, according to obstetricians. The spike in interest, however, is being exploited by some surrogate mothers.

Delivery pains even before pregnancy

More than 800 couples in Serbia who cannot conceive children naturally, have to wait for in vitro fertilisation more than a year due to collecting necessary documentation.