Surrogacy Harms Children Like Maternal Abandonment Harms Animals
Source: Jordan Boyd. "Punch The Monkey Reminds Us That Babies Need Their Moms." February 23, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that if we feel sorry for an abandoned baby monkey, we should also oppose surrogacy because it deliberately separates babies from the women who carried them. She claims this separation harms children just like it harms animals.
Conclusion
Surrogacy and assisted reproductive technology that separates babies from birth mothers causes deliberate harm to children and should be opposed
Premises
- Punch the monkey's viral fame demonstrates universal recognition that maternal separation causes suffering in young mammals
- Babies born through surrogacy experience immediate separation from the woman who carried them for nine months, similar to Punch's abandonment
- Early maternal separation causes documented physical, emotional, and mental harm to infants
- Children from surrogacy arrangements suffer severed attachment bonds that lead to trauma and physical ailments
- Unlike natural maternal loss remedied by adoption, surrogacy deliberately creates the conditions for maternal separation
- The surrogacy industry prioritizes adult desires over children's rights and wellbeing
Assumptions
- The birth mother (surrogate) forms the primary maternal bond during pregnancy, not the intended parents
- Maternal separation is inherently harmful regardless of legal arrangements or willing participation
- Public sympathy for animal suffering should logically extend to human children in similar situations
- Children's rights should take precedence over adults' reproductive desires
- Natural biological bonds are irreplaceable and cannot be substituted