Keralite couple in US waiting to cuddle surrogate newborn

A Keralite couple settled in the US are waiting eagerly for easing of COVID-19 lockdown curbs on travel to rush home and hold and cuddle their baby girl born out of surrogacy in a hospital in the southern state.

The couple, hailing from Pathanamthitta district and settled in the US, have been waiting for nearly 12 years to have a child and had planned to arrive in Kerala early last month in time for the delivery on March 19, but the coronavirus spread the world over has played spoilsport.

"The parents of the child are in US. They were supposed to come and receive the baby, but unfortunately due to the sudden lockdown, they are still having to wait," Dr Parasuram Gopinath, Consultant and Scientific Director of CIMAR, a fertility centre in Kochi, where the baby was born, said. They had a first look at their baby through video chat. The couple have been trying for having a child since the past 10-12 years. They have had multiple treatment failures. Ultimately, through surrogacy they have got a child of their own, Parasuram told PTI.

The parents, who underwent treatment at the Centre for Infertility, Management and Assisted Reproduction (CIMAR), had returned to the US and were hoping to be back in Kerala by March 9 but could not make it. The baby, born on Mar 19, is perfectly fine, he said adding she was well taken care of in the neo-natal ICU of the hospital for 12 days. Asked how the parents reacted on first seeing their bundle of joy, the doctor said they were "overjoyed and extremely happy".

"The parents were waiting for so long to have a child. But thanks to technology we could show them the child through video. Everyday, the NICU staff would send them the baby''s pictures also", he said the neo-natal ICU doctors and nurses took good care of the baby.

The hospital authorities also spoke to some of the relatives of the couple in Kochi as there is uncertainty on when the lockdown was likely to be lifted. The hospital authorities took a legal opinion and on the advice of an advocate decided to draw up an affidavit signed by both the parents and a voice mail of the couple was also prepared before handing over the baby to their close relative on April 3, Dr Parasuram said.

The relatives also were told the step by step process of how to feed the baby, wrap and hold her, he said. CIMAR, which began its operations from Edappal in 1996, is said to be the first in vitro fertilisation centre (IVF) and fertility clinic in northern Kerala. It is also the first fertility hospital in the country to be graded in the Health Care Organisation cateogry by the National Accreditation Board for hospitals and health care providers, hospital officials said.

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