A Fight Over Abortion and Surrogacy Ends With a Baby Born in Texas

A bitter confrontation over surrogacy, abortion and parental rights that stretched across three states culminated on Wednesday with the birth of the baby at the center of the conflict at a Dallas hospital.

The fate of the baby, who has a severe birth defect, became a cause this summer among anti-abortion activists, who provided legal representation for the surrogate, McKenna West, and helped her travel to Texas for medical care. This week, she also received support from the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, who took legal action to compel medical treatments for the newborn.