The Baby-M

The Baby M case was a landmark legal battle in the United States during the 1980s involving surrogacy. A New Jersey couple, William and Elizabeth Stern, hired a surrogate, Mary Beth Whitehead, to carry their child. After the baby, named Melissa, was born, Whitehead wanted to keep her, while the Sterns sought custody. The case raised complex questions about parental rights, the ethics of surrogacy, and the role of contracts in determining custody. Ultimately, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that parental rights cannot be solely determined by a surrogacy contract, emphasizing the importance of the bond between mother and child.