Seiko Noda, a 50-year-old Japanese lawmaker, gave birth Thursday
to a baby created from the egg of a donor, highlighting
controversy about such treatments in Japan.  Due to Japan’s ban
on surrogacy and the restrictions placed upon egg donation, a
cottage industry of consultants and advisers who shuttle
Japanese women to other countries where such practices are legal
has blossomed.  The U.S. is the most popular destination by far,
though lower-cost countries such as India are catching on. As a
result of this boom, the demand for Asian female egg donors has
skyrocketed (most Asian couples prefer to have an Asian-looking
baby), with some paying women up to $10,000 as a “gift” for
their services, plus compensation for all medical costs.
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