2% of babies born in Europe are the result of assisted reproduction. This has helped countries of the European Union raise their birth rates but these are still nowhere near population replacement levels (Int J Andr 2006;29:12-6).
Surely one of the most bizarre stories about assisted reproduction must be that of Mrs Z from Russia, reported by the appropriately named Mr Leidig in the BMJ (2006;332:627). She is a 55-year old headmistress whose son was dying of cancer, so she persuaded doctors to freeze some of his semen before treatment was started. This was done and two years after his eventual demise she requested his sperm be used to fertilise a donor egg and be implanted into a surrogate mother.
The child, Mrs Z’s grandson, was born alive and well but the Russian authorities say she is too old to adopt him. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the sperm donor died two years ago and cannot be legally registered as the father. Since the oocyte was donated, the baby doesn’t have a mother either, and since he has no parents he does not officially exist. The Registry Office wants to take him away from Mrs Z and place him in an orphanage. The case is going to court.
