A surrogate mother who changed her mind about giving her baby to a couple will be allowed to keep her, a judge ruled yesterday.
After getting married in 2005, Mr and Mrs W were unable to have a baby following a series of miscarriages.
The mother and the couple, known only as Mr and Mrs W, met over the internet in 2009 and made an informal agreement that a baby, fathered by Mr W, would be handed over once born.
During the pregnancy the surrogate mother changed her mind and refused to part with the baby when it was born last July.
Mr Justice Baker said the now six-month-old baby, identified only as T, had bonded with her mother. "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."
