Baby Business

CBS's 60 Minutes recently did a segment on the illegal international baby trade concerning a young woman taken from El Salvador during the civil war. Well before the CBS story, however, Canadian filmmaker Judy Jackson was investigating the world of the baby trade, and she unearthed enough scandal and outrage to change the laws in at least one province. North Americans are being told that South American babies need good homes, and as a humanitarian gesture, these babies can be adopted. U.S. citizens wanting to start or add to their families often don't realize that huge adoption "fees" of $10,000-$15,000 frequently go to lawyers fronting for kidnappers. Jackson interviews parents, officials, lawyers and diplomats from places as diverse as Canada, Mississippi, Mexico, and Haiti. The interviews make it clear that huge profits from baby sales have created some very wealthy and prominent citizens in the developing world. Officials deny a black market for babies exists, despite Jackson being told (on hidden camera) precisely how and for how much she could "adopt" a baby of her own. Fascinating and horrifying, this is highly recommended and an Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)