Surrogate mother who fled to Texas gives birth to baby with severe heart defect

Under state law, abortion in Texas is banned under most circumstances, except when a mother’s health is at risk. Photograph: LWA/Dann Tardif/Getty Images

A surrogate mother who traveled to Texas, where abortion is illegal, claiming she was pressured to end the pregnancy after the discovery of a severe heart defect, gave birth on Wednesday to a baby boy.

The child’s biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed of California, confirmed the birth through their lawyer, while denying they forced McKenna West, who is from Alaska, to undergo an abortion, the Texas Tribune reported.