According to an announcement last month by Nagano Prefecture obstetrician Yahiro Nezu, a woman nearly 60 years old has served as a surrogate mother for her daughter. Last spring the woman gave birth to a baby that had been conceived externally using a fertilized egg provided by her daughter and the daughter's husband. The daughter's uterus had been removed because of cancer.
Described as a "grandmother giving birth to a grandchild," the case invites bioethical questions. At least 33 editorial comments on the issue have appeared in Japanese newspapers, including the following:
Sankei Shimbun