Concerns for Quebec physicians around surrogacy raised in Bill 2: CMQ

The president of the CMQ, Dr. Mauril Gaudreault, made a proposal in a letter tabled Thursday during the consultations on a bill on the reform of family law in matters of parentage and amending the Civil Code in matters of personality rights. and civil status. According to this bill, a surrogate mother cannot consent to the fact that her parentage relationship with the child is deemed never to have existed within the first seven days after birth. This consent must be given, at the earliest, after the seventh day and, at the latest, within the first 30 days of the child. The College is concerned about this delay. “It goes without saying that the first days of the birth of a child are essential, both for any decisions that might be taken concerning the health and well-being of the child and for the creation of an attachment bond," says Dr. Gaudreault. Read: Liberal backbencher tables bill to ease concerns of surrogate moms He says the mother could decide not to entrust the child from birth to the intended parents or else to entrust the child to them, despite everything, without having renounced her parentage which gives rights and obligations towards the child. "There is therefore a possibility for the woman or the person who gave birth not to involve the intended parents in the decision-making concerning the care required by the state of health of the child from birth." Risk of ambiguity for physicians Depending on the professional order, this deadline provided for in the bill could create ambiguity for doctors about which people can consent to the care the child might require depending on its health. Indeed, it may be difficult for doctors to know where to turn for consent to care for the child: the surrogate mother or the intended parents. In addition, under the proposed by the bill, the intended parents may not even have access to any information concerning the child's state of health, underlines Dr. Gaudreault. "This is why we believe the intended parents should be involved from the birth of the child in all decisions relating to the care required by his state of health, regardless of the circumstances, which may have an impact. and long-term repercussions, both for the parents and for the child himself," he says. This piece was translated from its original French and was first published in Profession Santé.

Concerns for Quebec physicians around surrogacy raised in Bill 2: CMQ

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