Some Indian women are turning to a new way of making money -- carrying children for others as surrogate mothers.
The service is an outgrowth of the in vitro fertilization business, The Daily Mail reported. Couples can get IVF treatment more cheaply in India than in many other countries, including the United States and western Europe.
Surrogate mothers are less costly as well, going for about $5,000 plus medical expenses.
Dr. Naina Patel of the Akanksha Fertility Clinic in Anand in the state of Gujarat said both sides benefit.
About 50 women in the area are believed to be carrying babies for foreign couples.
"Infertility is a global problem and we have its global solution," she said.
Others believe Indian women are being exploited and may suffer long-term emotional damage from functioning as surrogates, the report said. They say women who become surrogate mothers may also be damaging their own marriages.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
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