Bizarre Surrogacy Case Pinpoints Moral Morass of the Baby-Brokering Business, by Judy Roberts

When Pope Francis called surrogate motherhood a deplorable practice that he hoped the international community would prohibit universally, he was roundly criticized as insensitive and out of touch.

But a recent case in which 21 children, including 17 toddlers, were taken from a California couple who had them through their surrogacy business has revealed some of the practice’s inherent problems and potential for abuse, bolstering the arguments of those who believe it should be banned.

Born to various surrogate mothers using fertilized embryos from Silvia Zhang, 38, and her husband, Guojun Xuan, 65, the children were discovered as part of a police investigation after a 2-month-old from their home was taken to the hospital, the New York Post reported. That child had suffered a brain injury and is believed by police to have been shaken and struck by the family’s nanny, according to The Associated Press.  …