People who want to have children have been able to buy donated sperm and eggs separately for some time, but the recent practice of selling embryos introduces a range of new ethical and legal issues.

The “commodification” of children in an emerging made-to-order commercial embryo industry marks a disturbing twist in the heated debate surrounding the use of embryos in the making of babies. Not surprisingly, this recent development at a clinic in California has sparked calls for more effective legislation to control over-the-counter embryo sales in America.