The Hidden Dangers of Surrogacy: Health Risks for Gestational Carriers Exposed!

surrogates health risks insights study

Significant Health Risks for Surrogates: Insights from New Study

A recent study underscores heightened health risks for gestational carriers, revealing the potential for significant complications during both pregnancy and the postpartum period. The findings call for stricter compliance with eligibility criteria to help reduce these risks.

Gestational carriers, often referred to as surrogates, face a greater likelihood of severe pregnancy-related complications, including hypertension and postpartum hemorrhage, compared to those conceiving naturally or via in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is according to new research conducted by ICES and Queen’s University.

Gestational carriers bear children for individuals or couples who cannot carry a pregnancy themselves. Despite the growing prevalence of this practice, limited data exists regarding the potential health risks to both the carrier and the newborn during and after pregnancy.

Study Scope and Methodology

This large-scale population-based study is among the first to examine health outcomes by linking data from three distinct conception methods: unassisted, IVF, and gestational carriage.

Lead researcher Dr. Maria Velez, an adjunct scientist at ICES and an associate professor at the time in Queen’s University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, explains, “The study was driven by the increasing global use of gestational carriers and the lack of knowledge on its impact on pregnancy outcomes for both the carrier and the child.” Velez now holds positions at McGill University and its associated Research Institute.

Key Findings on Gestational Carriers

The study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine on September 24, analyzed 863,017 singleton births in Ontario, Canada, between 2012 and 2021. Of these, 846,124 births (97.6%) were unassisted, 16,087 (1.8%) occurred via IVF, and 806 (0.1%) involved gestational carriers.

Researchers focused on severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and severe neonatal morbidity (SNM), metrics that combine multiple health indicators for both mothers and infants. Additionally, they assessed hypertensive disorders, cesarean deliveries, preterm births, and postpartum hemorrhage.

surrogates health risks insights study: Noteworthy Results

The study found that SMM occurred in 2% of unassisted births, 4% of IVF births, and 8% of gestational carrier births. Gestational carriers also faced increased risks for hypertensive disorders and postpartum hemorrhage, even when these were analyzed independently of SMM. While gestational carriage was linked to preterm births (before 37 weeks), the evidence linking it to a higher risk of SNM was less conclusive.

The researchers acknowledged a study limitation: the lack of data explaining why intended parents opted for gestational carriage, the origins of the egg and sperm donors, the specific IVF techniques used, and the reasons individuals chose to become gestational carriers. Future studies could explore how these factors may influence the health of the carrier or the child.

Clinical Recommendations

Velez advises healthcare professionals to thoroughly counsel both patients and gestational carriers on the risks associated with this form of reproductive assistance. “There are existing guidelines to mitigate the risks associated with gestational carriers during pregnancy,” she states. “However, these guidelines are not always rigorously followed.”

Reference

“Severe Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity Among Gestational Carriers: A Cohort Study” by Maria P. Velez, MD, PhD, et al., published on September 24, 2024, in Annals of Internal Medicine. DOI: 10.7326/M24-0417.