Pictures of the new life birth

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Medical tourism in Ukraine

Kiev is an ancient city with a rich history filled with many heroes and original thinkers, in particular for healing.  Kiev can trace its beginnings back more than 1,500 years.  During ancient times it was the land of the Trypilians, Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans, Antae, Roxolanians, Greeks and the legendary Amazon Women.  The ancient Greek historian Herodotus claimed that Hercules himself founded this city on seven majestic hills covered with chestnut trees and flowers on the right bank of the Dnieper River.  Kiev has the largest concentration of Orthodox Churches in Eastern Europe and is considered the “Jerusalem of the East” by Slavic People.  Besides being Holy Places for worship the Churches were also centers for healing.  You could say that medical tourism started in Kiev over a thousand years ago as pilgrims travelled long distances to immerse themselves in the miraculous healing springs in this Holy Land. This practice has continued to present day, particularly by Orthodox believers.

Medical tourism today

Today, in Modern Kiev, the legacy of long established healing is reflected in the numerous private clinics and hospitals that offer world class health care services and treatments.

Modern day medical tourism in Kiev started in 1994 when Professor Alexander Smikodub pioneered the world’s first fetal stem cell treatments.  His treatments offered hope for those without hope from conventional medicine attracting patients from around the globe.  The research and treatments continue to advance. 

With a history of excellence, other clinics have entered the world arena.  In the past five years several Ukrainian IVF clinics have become front runners in managing infertility.  Patients enjoy a high success rate with dedicated doctors and staff utilizing state of the art equipment and Western training. Ukraine legislation allows for procedures which are not permissible in other countries such as egg donation and surrogacy.  One achievement for IVF treatment in Kiev was featured in the UK’s Sunday Telegraph in 2009 when a British woman in her mid-60 became pregnant and delivered a healthy baby.

Today Ukraine is establishing itself as a free and democratic nation with strong ties to the EU as well as the USA.  In years past, many patients were confused, thinking that Ukraine was part of Russia. Now the entire world realizes that Ukraine is a nation committed to establishing its own relationships with the international community.

Most medical tourists coming to Kiev are seeking stem cell treatments, dental implants and dental restoration, IVF, surrogacy, joint replacements, LASIK and cardiac surgery.  The majority of patients come from the EU, North America, Scandinavia, the UK and from as far as New Zealand and Australia.

Ukraine at the crossroads

Ukraine is a crossroads of the world, strategically located as a bridge between East and West. For this reason international business continues to grow and many business people take advantage of the medical services that they can enjoy at a significant savings of 30-50% on treatment costs in the EU or America.

Ukraine is building a reputation for hospitality and international standards of private healthcare. As more Ukrainian medical specialists travel abroad to update their medical expertise by studying in Germany, the US and the UK, the more we see an increase of trust in Ukrainian healthcare by international medical travelers. 

Medical travelers experience the hospitality and professional medical skills of the people of Ukraine. Ukraine is dedicated to developing the professionalism of its healthcare services and to offering patients the treatment outcomes they desire at a reasonable price.

Ukraine Will Become Undisputed Leader in Reproductive Medicine Sphere

With the rapid pace of life and development of reproductive technologies women put off childbearing for a more recent period. Several years ago, 26-27 years old woman in labor was considered old, but today first childbearing at the age of 37-45 will surprise nobody. Donor eggs and IVF give women a unique opportunity to become pregnant at any age! The main condition is a good physical health.   

55 years old resident of Germany became mother having carried a child at such age! Being 52, she realized that she has achieved everything she wanted, saw life and now she is ready to start a family. She went to England in order to use the program of egg donation and IVF. Since it was impossible to conduct IVF using her own eggs due to the menopause. In England, woman found a good clinic with a positive reputation, chose a donor, and after that she was told to wait. Woman understood that IVF is rather serious and multi-phase procedure and needs preparation. But she could not even imagine that she would have to wait 2.5 years! During this time, during every birthday celebration she thought: "52, 53, 54 years old... with the passing of the years I don’t become younger, I don’t have much time and I must give birth as soon as possible." And, luckily for her she saw the first IVF attempt come true. Unfortunately it was unsuccessful and as a result she was not pregnant. Without hesitation she hunkered down to go through the second IVF attempt. It should be noted that the patient had to pay separately for each attempt, medications and so on. As a result, she spent a great sum of money. Of course at that time she did not think about financial costs but only about her child. German Frau got pregnant after the second attempt and gave birth to her first child at the age of 55.

Time is the main problem aged women face with planning to have a baby. Often, they do not have time to wait for a long queue because every year is worth its weight in gold. Surfing Internet information about pregnancy after 40, Ukrainian center of reproductive medicine BioTexCom can be found on the first pages. Studying all the information about this clinic and customers’ comments it becomes clear that there are no long lines there, price is much lower and thought-out in favor of patients. And in general, statistics show that Ukraine is the third world country but reproductive medicine is better than in expensive European clinics. Ukrainian legislation, resources and talented professionals confidently leads the country to the first place in the field of reproduction.

In 2010, it was not more than 7% foreign patients in Ukrainian clinics. Today this figure exceeds 50%. Treatment in Ukrainian clinics costs about 25-35 thousand dollars. This is two to three times cheaper than in the United States or Europe, where price for similar programs starts from 70-100 thousand dollars. In addition efficiency in Ukrainian clinics for human reproduction is higher in comparison with European competitors. According to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in 2012 the success rate of fertility in Ukraine amounted to 30.9%, with 24% in Europe.

(http://newseurope.info/ukraine-will-become-undisputed-leader-in-reproductive-medicine-sphere/)

BioTexCom – European Medical Center №1

Center for Human Reproduction BioTexCom has been rapidly gaining momentum, confidently shoots ahead its European competitors. Foreign patients who have faced with the infertility diagnosis can find perfect problem solution in this Ukrainian clinic. Managers who are fluent in different languages work in BioTexCom ​​: English, German, Italian, French, Romanian, Hebrew and Chinese. Therefore, clients have a great opportunity to communicate with manager and doctor the language they prefer. Managers who are in attendance on clients are accredited to work in the state institutions, as well as have an experience on working with documentation for surrogacy (Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs). They organize all the work with infertile couple, dealing with all necessary documents and contact with clients from the very beginning to the end of the medical program. Visiting foreign country you will never be left alone without help.

We always care for the maximum comfort of our patients. In 2013, BioTexCom center has received an award for the best service and work with clients. All medical programs are thought over in clients’ favor. You pay a fixed sum and not a penny more. Patients here have an opportunity to choose the most suitable medical package according to the diagnosis, and, in the case of unsuccessful outcome you will get all the money back. BioTexCom is the only reproductive medicine center in the world where you will be returned the full cost of the program in the case of failure. But, it’s extremely rare incident here. Methods of work were thought over in such way that doctors achieve desired result as quickly as it’s possible. Unique methods of working with embryos and preparation of donor / surrogate mother / allow BioTexCom specialists to achieve high results in the field of reproduction.

Patients from all over the world visit BioTexCom clinic and find happiness of maternity / paternity here even after ten failed attempts of IVF in different European countries.

There is no absolute infertility! BioTexCom center knows it for sure and continues to improve its methods to deal with infertility.

Master class for all dads!

While mom is not home father has to deal with this cheerful quartet. Daddy has rather difficult task - while mom is absent he must somehow cope with four little babies.

 (YouTube Video)

Women who use a surrogate mother have no right to maternity leave, EU rules.

However, individual states can introduce more accommodating rules themselves.

WOMEN WHO USE surrogate mothers to have a child do not have a legal right to maternity leave when the baby is born, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

The European Union’s highest court said EU “law does not establish a right to paid leave equal to maternity leave or adoption leave” for women having a child by a surrogate.

At the same time, EU member states are free to apply more accommodating rules if they choose to do so, it added.

The court was considering two cases: a woman in Ireland, who was fertile but had no uterus, used a surrogate mother in California.

She and her husband were the child’s full biological parents and recognized as such under US law.

Parental rights

In the second case, one of a British woman who could not get pregnant and had a child, fathered by her husband but carried by another woman and using another woman’s egg.

The husband and wife were subsequently given full parental rights over the child with the consent of the surrogate mother.

Maternity leave

In both cases, however, when the women asked for maternity leave so as to look after their babies, their employers turned them down on the grounds that neither had gone through a pregnancy or adopted their children.

Reviewing the cases against EU legislation on conditions for working mothers, fair treatment and physical handicap, the court said it could find no grounds to say that such a refusal of maternity leave breached EU law.

The relevant 1992 law stated that maternity leave must be granted to a woman “who has been pregnant and who has given birth to a child,” it noted.

Earlier this year, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said that proposals for the reform of family law in areas such as “non-traditional” families will shortly be considered by Cabinet.

“I am aiming, therefore, to develop a system in which a child born through assisted human reproduction using donor material from a third party would be the child of the both members of the couple,” he said.

 WOMEN WHO USE surrogate mothers to have a child do not have a legal right to maternity leave when the baby is born, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

The European Union’s highest court said EU “law does not establish a right to paid leave equal to maternity leave or adoption leave” for women having a child by a surrogate.

At the same time, EU member states are free to apply more accommodating rules if they choose to do so, it added.

The court was considering two cases: a woman in Ireland, who was fertile but had no uterus, used a surrogate mother in California.

She and her husband were the child’s full biological parents and recognized as such under US law.

Parental rights

In the second case, one of a British woman who could not get pregnant and had a child, fathered by her husband but carried by another woman and using another woman’s egg.

The husband and wife were subsequently given full parental rights over the child with the consent of the surrogate mother.

Maternity leave

In both cases, however, when the women asked for maternity leave so as to look after their babies, their employers turned them down on the grounds that neither had gone through a pregnancy or adopted their children.

Reviewing the cases against EU legislation on conditions for working mothers, fair treatment and physical handicap, the court said it could find no grounds to say that such a refusal of maternity leave breached EU law.

The relevant 1992 law stated that maternity leave must be granted to a woman “who has been pregnant and who has given birth to a child,” it noted.

Earlier this year, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said that proposals for the reform of family law in areas such as “non-traditional” families will shortly be considered by Cabinet.

“I am aiming, therefore, to develop a system in which a child born through assisted human reproduction using donor material from a third party would be the child of the both members of the couple,” he said.

 WOMEN WHO USE surrogate mothers to have a child do not have a legal right to maternity leave when the baby is born, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

The European Union’s highest court said EU “law does not establish a right to paid leave equal to maternity leave or adoption leave” for women having a child by a surrogate.

At the same time, EU member states are free to apply more accommodating rules if they choose to do so, it added.

The court was considering two cases: a woman in Ireland, who was fertile but had no uterus, used a surrogate mother in California.

She and her husband were the child’s full biological parents and recognized as such under US law.

Parental rights

In the second case, one of a British woman who could not get pregnant and had a child, fathered by her husband but carried by another woman and using another woman’s egg.

The husband and wife were subsequently given full parental rights over the child with the consent of the surrogate mother.

Maternity leave

In both cases, however, when the women asked for maternity leave so as to look after their babies, their employers turned them down on the grounds that neither had gone through a pregnancy or adopted their children.

Reviewing the cases against EU legislation on conditions for working mothers, fair treatment and physical handicap, the court said it could find no grounds to say that such a refusal of maternity leave breached EU law.

The relevant 1992 law stated that maternity leave must be granted to a woman “who has been pregnant and who has given birth to a child,” it noted.

Earlier this year, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said that proposals for the reform of family law in areas such as “non-traditional” families will shortly be considered by Cabinet.

“I am aiming, therefore, to develop a system in which a child born through assisted human reproduction using donor material from a third party would be the child of the both members of the couple,” he said.

 (http://www.thejournal.ie/)

Surrogacy under the spotlight: How Ireland plans to handle this legal minefield

SURROGACY HAS BEEN thrown back under the spotlight following the tragic story of baby ‘Gammy’, a child with Down syndrome, born to surrogate mother in Thailand.

It is claimed that the Australian parents took one child born to the surrogate mother, but left baby Gammy when they were told he had Down syndrome. This has been denied by the parents.

The story highlights yet another complicated angle to surrogacy, a topic that has been mired in controversy in Ireland, least of all, because of the lack of legal clarity surrounding it.

There are no laws governing surrogacy in Ireland. However, this will all change with the upcoming publication of the Child and Family Relationships Bill.

Supreme Court 

No case highlights the trepidation in confronting this issue more than a seven judgeSupreme Court reserving judgment on the State’s appeal against a decision that the genetic parents of twins born to a surrogate are entitled to be registered on their birth certificates as their legal parents. The judgment is reserved, with the legislature reluctant to rule on the matter when it should be the government making the necessary steps.

The case revolves around the legal definition of motherhood. Is the mother the person who has genetic links to the child or the woman who gives birth to the child, with the court hearing from the State that a child cannot have two mothers at the same time.

Countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Bulgaria have banned all forms of surrogacy, while commercial surrogacy is legal in some US states and countries including India, Ukraine and Russia. Surrogacy takes place in the UK and Ireland, but commercial surrogacy is not permitted.

While the legislation is to be welcomed for finally giving some boundaries, there have been calls for the legislation to deal with the criminal aspect, as in if agreements are made with Irish residents abroad and what the position is if there is a go between person or agency dealing with such an arrangement abroad.

Kathy Irwin from Beauchamps Solicitors said that there is a “varying approach” to surrogacy law around the world.

It seems to be another Irish solution to an Irish problem, whereby we leave it as long as possible until we are forced to legislate for it… Culture plays a huge part and perhaps more needs to be done in terms of the jurisdiction of the law in arrangements made outside of Ireland.

There are two forms of surrogacy. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother’s egg is used, making her the genetic mother, while gestational surrogacy is where the egg is provided by the intended mother or a donor. The egg is fertilised through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and then placed inside the surrogate mother.

What is a “surrogate” defined as?

Under the proposed legislation a “surrogate” means a woman who gives birth to a child as a result of assisted reproduction if, at the time of the child’s conception, she intended to relinquish that child to:

(i) a person or two persons whose human reproductive material was used in the assisted reproduction or whose human reproductive material was used to create the embryo in the assisted reproduction,
or
(ii) a person referred to in paragraph (i) and the person who is married to or in a civil partnership with or is cohabiting in an intimate and committed relationship with that person, but does not include a woman who gives birth to a child conceived using her own human reproductive material

Therefore, the birth mother, the surrogate, will be the mother of the child born through a surrogacy arrangement until she relinquishes her status and transfers parentage.

The Bill will provide that in a surrogacy case, parentage may be legally assigned by the court on the basis of genetic connection to one of the intending parents and the spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner of that person, on application by any of the relevant parties.

The consent of any surrogate is essential and she will be the legal mother of the child if she does not consent.

Where the surrogate does not give consent the father, who has given his genetic material to be used, can then apply for guardianship, however, there seems to be no such provision for the partner to do this.

“The law is very much on the side of the birth mother, regardless of whether there are  genetic links,” said Irwin.

Who will be able to be a surrogate under the proposed legislation?

Interestingly, there is an age restriction on who will be able to become a surrogate mother in Ireland. A woman must be at least 24 years old to become a surrogate and she must also already have had at least one child of which she has custody. The rationale behind this is that a woman should be aware of the emotional and physical effects pregnancy brings with it.

If a birth mother entered into a surrogacy arrangement prior to the commencement of this Act, she will have to have been at least 18 years of age when she entered that arrangement.

Is there an age limit for parents?

While the minimum age for a surrogate is 24, the proposed legislation states that at least one of the couple entering a surrogacy arrangement must be under the age of 45. In light of this, a single person entering into an arrangement, i.e a woman who wants a child but does not have a partner, the maximum age limit she can be is 45 years old.

What about payment?

Commercial surrogacy is not allowed under the proposed new law. A surrogacy mother is entitled to be reimbursed surrogacy costs, but reference is made to “reasonable costs” and no figure is defined, which may prove problematic in ensuring payments relate totally to the costs incurred by the surrogate.

So what do the “reasonable costs” include?

The reasonable costs associated with the pregnancy or birth include any reasonable medical costs associated with the pregnancy or birth (both pre-natal and post-natal), any reasonable travel or accommodation costs associated with the pregnancy or birth, any reasonable medical costs incurred in respect of a child, the cost of reimbursing the birth mother for a loss of earnings as a result of unpaid leave taken by her, but only for the period of not more than 2 months during which the birth happened or was expected to happen and any other period during the pregnancy when the birth mother was unable to work on medical grounds related to pregnancy or birth.

The proposed legislation prohibits commercial payments to the mother but also to any other person associated with making a surrogacy arrangement. Surrogacy advertisements are also banned.

While the new law is to be welcomed, providing clarity to an ambiguous situation, there have been calls that the legislation should also incorporate the Department of Justice’s Guidance Document on citizenship, parentage and guardianship which deals with the position of children born to surrogates outside of Ireland, where the people engaged in the arrangement are resident in Ireland.

 (http://www.thejournal.ie/)