A maternity clinic in Nagano Prefecture that in 2001 helped in Japan's first birth from a surrogate mother assisted in the birth of a second child through the same method last year, according to lawyers.

The case comes to light at a time when the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is preparing a report recommending a ban on the surrogate birth method on the grounds it can put the women bearing the children at enormous risk. The report will be finalized as early as the end of this month.

Both the baby and the surrogate mother are in good condition, the lawyers said. The baby was born after an in vitro fertilized embryo from an infertile couple was implanted into the husband's sister-in-law.