While some countries, like the U.S.A., accept surrogate pregnancy among permitted techniques of assisted reproduction, Spanish law considers it illegal. That is why a certificate issued in the U.S.A. establishing the parenthood of a baby born in this country to a surrogate mother would not be registered in Spain accordingly the baby would not have Spanish nationality; and consequently, he would need a visa to come to Spain.

In Spain surrogate mothers do not suffer major emotional problems during or after their pregnancy, or when they hand over the baby to the commissioning parents, researchers told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today.

The latest results from a long-running study into surrogacy by researchers from City University, UK, led by Professor Susan Golombok, found that, contrary to anecdotal reports in the media, none of the surrogate mothers interviewed for the study reported any misgivings about handing over the baby. Any emotional problems that the women did experience after the birth appeared to lessen with time. The majority of surrogate mothers enjoyed good relations with their commissioning couples and did not suffer adverse reactions from their own friends and family.

In the largest and most representative study of surrogate mothers so far, the researchers interviewed many women approximately one year after they had given birth. The women gave information on their reasons for deciding to become a surrogate, the reaction of others to this decision, their relationships with the commissioning couple before and during the pregnancy, their experiences of handing over the baby, and how they felt towards the child.

The majority of the women (31 or 91%) said their main reason for being a surrogate was "to help a childless couple". Five (15%) gave "enjoyment of pregnancy" as a reason, two (6%) said they were doing it for "self-fulfilment" and only one said she was doing it for money.

Before the pregnancy all the mothers said they had a good relationship with the commissioning couple. At the start of the pregnancy, one woman reported "major conflict or hostility" with the commissioning couple, and one woman reported "dissatisfaction or coldness" with the commissioning father. All the other women had no problems. During the last few months of pregnancy none of the women reported having any major conflict or hostility with the commissioning parents; 33 of them said they had a harmonious relationship with the commissioning mother and 32 said the same of their relationship with the father.