I.V.F. baptism allowed

Press, 10 October 1984, Page 8

I.V.F. baptism allowed

PA Auckland A baby born to a married couple by in-vitro fertilisation may be baptised, said the Auckland Presbytery last evening. The Presbytery decided that, since it was likely a couple resorted to I.V.F. only after failure to conceive by natural means or because of physical handicap, there should be no

difficulty in acknowledging the offspring of such fertilisation as the natural child of that marriage. The convener of the public questions committee, the Rev. Glyn Thomas, said that a decision on the matter was required because a family had had difficulty in ascertaining out if a baptism of a child born in such circumstances would be ac-

ceptable. He said that such a baptism would be acceptable only if the sperm came from the husband. Mr Thomas said that the committee did not decide bn the question of surrogate parenting, one of several matters under discussion by the joint Methodist-Presby-terian committee in Wellington.