A surrogate mother was legally pressured into aborting a pregnancy in the third trimester after an ultrasound showed the fetus was missing two fingers, according to children’s rights activist Olivia Maurel.
Maurel, who was herself born through surrogacy and has become a prominent opponent of the practice, recounted the incident during a public discussion promoting her upcoming book, Where Are You Mommy?She stated that abortion clauses are standard in surrogacy contracts.
In this case, the commissioning (intended) parents demanded the abortion once they learned of the missing fingers and did not want to proceed with a child who had that condition.The surrogate initially refused, saying she wanted to keep the baby.
However, attorneys for the commissioning parents sent her a letter enforcing the contract. It threatened legal action and withholding of payment if she did not comply. Under that pressure, the surrogate ultimately had the abortion.
“This is eugenics. It’s murder. It’s a baby trade, and it needs to be criminalized,” children’s rights activist “Billboard Chris” Elston wrote on X while sharing a video clip of Maurel’s remarks.
Maurel has long argued that surrogacy treats women as “rented wombs” and harms children by separating them from their birth mothers. She has previously testified before lawmakers calling for the practice to be abolished.