Crisis at the company “World Center of Baby”
Last Friday, February 6, five pregnant mothers contacted Gestlife requesting urgent help. These women, who were temporarily residing in Tirana (Albania), were waiting to begin a surrogacy process for parents who had contracted a program with the company World Center of Baby.
According to their account, they had been abandoned by the company, which had stopped fulfilling its basic obligations, including paying the rent for the homes where they lived and the previously agreed-upon financial compensation. The situation was critical: starting Monday, February 9, 2026, these surrogate mothers faced a real risk of becoming homeless.
In the face of this human crisis, Gestlife rescues pregnant mothers affected by the situation, immediately assuming their protection and accommodation in one of our hotels, guaranteeing their safety and well-being while each case is analyzed individually.
Following our investigation, we have confirmed that the crisis at World Center of Baby is also affecting its clients in Albania. The company is reportedly terminating contracts unilaterally, unable to meet its contractual and financial obligations to intended parents and surrogates.
Many of these parents, who at one time considered contracting with Gestlife or World Center of Baby, finally opted for the latter, attracted by promises of programs in Albania that, to this day, have been confirmed to lack a real structure ; the company did not have an office in the country nor had it previously managed any births through surrogacy in Albania.
As a result, many families have lost significant sums of money that they will likely never recover. Even so, and true to our values, at Gestlife We are assuming the responsibility of continuing these processes, always prioritizing the interests of pregnant women and future parents.
This situation was not unexpected. For over a year, Gestlife had been warning about the fragility of World Center of Baby’s business model and the risks associated with this type of operation. The crisis at World Center of Baby mirrors patterns already seen in other destinations, such as Cyprus.
World Center of Baby has been characterized by “creating” surrogacy destinations without solid legal or operational backing, destinations that reputable and professional agencies would never offer. In the case of Cyprus, they promoted IVF treatments in the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus—an internationally unrecognized territory—with deliveries then taking place in various countries, such as Portugal, the Czech Republic, or southern Cyprus.
These types of practices involved serious legal irregularities, which in many cases the parents violated without being fully aware of it.
As expected, the authorities eventually intervened. In March 2025, Cypriot authorities launched investigations into alleged illegal activities committed by entities linked to the World Center of Baby (WCoB ). The so-called “Cyprus case” came to light after a British same-sex couple who had twins through surrogacy —according to various media outlets, in northern Cyprus— were stranded due to serious documentation and passport issues.
Following these events, the Ministry of Health and the Limassol police opened an investigation into a suspected “ghost clinic,” examining whether the company was operating without a license, engaging in illegal advertising, and conducting some of its business in areas not under the control of the Republic of Cyprus.
For more information, read the original articles:
WEB: EN.PHILENEWS. “Limassol ‘ghost clinic’ at centre of UK couple surrogacy investigation”
WEB: EN.PHILENEWS. “Police close in on suspect behind surrogate motherhood ghost-clinic”
PDF. PHILENES. “Health ministry uncovers illegal surrogacy clinic in same-sex couple case”
When Cypriot authorities visited the alleged offices of World Center of Baby in Limassol, they found no operational facilities at the address provided by the company. They also discovered that the entity had not completed its registration with the Companies Registry, a mandatory legal requirement for operating in the country.
In light of these events, the Cypriot Ministry of Health filed a formal complaint, confirming that the company lacked the necessary license to carry out activities related to surrogacy, thus reinforcing suspicions about the existence of a phantom center linked to World Center of Baby.
For more information, read the original article:
WEB: CYPRUSMAIL: “Phantom surrogate clinic investigations continue”
Chronology of a crisis foretold at the World Center of Baby
- January 3, 2025
Twins are born. According to Cypriot media reports, the birth took place in northern Cyprus, where the insemination procedure was also performed.
- Early January 2025
The couple is traveling to Cyprus for the birth of their children.
- March 6, 2025
Cyprus Mail reports that the couple finally managed to leave Cyprus after a delay of nearly two months, caused by problems with documentation and the babies’ passports. The case has sparked a wide-ranging legal debate, including the complex relationship between Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus.
The same article describes World Center of Baby ( WCoB ) as an “originally Ukrainian” agency that claimed to operate from Limassol, although the services would be provided at a clinic located in the north of the island.
It is also indicated that the surrogacy process was arranged with a surrogate mother from Kazakhstan and an egg donor from Bulgaria.
The Minister of Health, Michalis Damianos files a complaint after discovering that WCoB It did not have an official license, and both the activity and the advertising could be contrary to current legislation, including the regulations governing access to surrogacy for same-sex couples.
- March 7, 2025
Cypriot / Philenews reports an investigation into possible illegalities. According to statements made by the couple to the media, the total payment amounted to approximately $107,000, noting that Cypriot law only permits altruistic surrogacy, limited to the reimbursement of basic medical expenses.
The report adds that officials did not locate any clinic at the advertised address in Limassol, near the Public Garden, and that there was no official record of the twins’ birth in the district administration.
AlphaNews (Cyprus) points out that this is not an isolated case and mentions similar situations of couples, especially British ones, affected by delays in documentation in 2022, 2023 and 2024, framing the issue as a problem with a political dimension.
- March 8, 2025
Cyprus / Philenews reports that police have identified an individual linked to the case and are investigating an attempt to legally register World Center of Baby through an administrative services provider. The registration was not completed, and authorities are examining whether the company attempted to operate under a different name.
It is reiterated that the center lacked a license, that no facilities were found at the declared location, and that the promotional videos suggested that prospective parents arrived in the Republic of Cyprus and were then transferred to facilities located in the north of the island.
- March 10, 2025
Sigmalive English quotes police spokeswoman Kyriaki Lambrianidou confirmed that authorities are searching for the company’s founder, a foreign national, whose presence in Cyprus is unknown. They are also trying to locate the parents involved.
There are no official birth records in the Republic of Cyprus, and the company is not officially registered. Up to that point, the only formal complaint filed was by the Ministry of Health, and the investigation remained open.
For more information, read the original article:
WEB: SIGMALIVE.en “Police investigate illegal surrogacy case as fathers remain missing”.
The crisis at World Center of Baby spreads to Mexico
The crisis at World Center of Baby, which has already had an impact in various countries, is also spreading to Mexico, where serious economic problems are beginning to surface, according to several affected parents on public opinion platforms.
In recent weeks, numerous reviews and testimonials have been published describing situations of non-payment, interruption of treatments, and lack of medical follow-up in surrogacy processes managed by this company in Mexican territory.
- February 4, 2026
A review published on Trustpilot suggests that parents of children in the Mexican program should join together to pursue legal action, claiming that the company failed to make payments to the clinic after the embryos were created.
Source: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/Worldcenterofbaby.com
- February 1, 2026
Another witness claims to have paid approximately $60,000, stating that the company no longer had funds to pay the clinics, which allegedly led to the discontinuation of medical follow-up and the necessary medication for the pregnancy.
Source: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/Worldcenterofbaby.com
- September 30, 2025
An extensive report details the alleged loss of embryos attributed to supposed negligence on the part of World Center of Baby and the clinic used in Mexico. The report indicates that those affected are initiating legal action in several countries.
In this case, the company itself responded publicly denying any fraud, emphasizing that it is not a clinic and that certain processes depend on external providers.
- September 2025 (contract signing) / October 2025 (trip to Mexico) / January 5, 2026 (internal communication)
Another testimony, published and updated in 2026, states that the contract was signed in September 2025 and that the trip to Mexico took place in October. According to this version, World Center of Baby It would have concealed until January 2026 that its local team no longer operated in the country and that operations in Mexico had collapsed.
At Gestlife, we have been warning prospective parents for years about the proliferation of these types of makeshift structures in the field of surrogacy : organizations without resources, without legal or operational support, which present seemingly cheaper programs, supported by very aggressive advertising campaigns, but without the necessary solidity to sustain such complex and sensitive processes.
Often, these initiatives lack their own infrastructure, specialized personnel, mandatory insurance, or proven experience —essential factors for guaranteeing the legal, medical, and human safety of surrogate parents. However, these elements are sometimes secondary to the promise of lower costs.
hundreds of parents are affected today, many of whom will not be able to recover their investment, among other reasons because this type of organization does not have liability insurance, a legal requirement that professional firms and entities in the sector, such as Gestlife, do comply with.
As Antonio Machado reminded us, “every fool confuses value with price”.
If you are one of the parents affected by the crisis at World Center of Baby, we want to send you a clear message: you are not alone. At Gestlife, we are here to help you, not to criticize decisions made based on incomplete or misleading information.
We have our own offices in Albania and Mexico, as well as a direct presence in nine other countries, precisely the main destinations affected by this situation. Our team can help you navigate your surrogacy process safely, transparently, and with professional support.
Together, we can solve it.
You can write to us confidentially at afectowcb@gestlifesurrogacy.com or call us directly. We’d be happy to help you through this crisis and move forward with your family plans.
