LONDON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A British court has ruled a woman who bore a daughter under an informal surrogate agreement with a childless couple should keep the baby.
The judge, Mr. Justice Baker, said that arrangement is clearly in the best interests of the child, now 6 months old, The Daily Telegraph reported. He identified the child only as T., the birth mother as C.L. and the couple as Mr. and Mrs. W.
"In my judgment, there is a clear attachment between mother and daughter," he said. "To remove her from her mother's care would cause a measure of harm. It is the mother who, I find, is better able to meet T.'s needs, in particular her emotional needs."
Mr. and Mrs. W. married in 2005 and the wife went through several pregnancies that ended in miscarriages. At that point, they considered having a child whose biological father would be Mr. W. and made contact with C.L. on line.
The judge said he was concerned because none of the parties appeared to have been completely honest with each other or the court. But he said the court-appointed guardian reported the girl is "thriving" with her birth mother.
