When most people hear the phrase "child custody", they immediately picture parents going through a divorce, determining how to share time with their children. The process can be both financially and emotionally stressful, particularly because of the nature of the relationship between a parent and child.

But child custody issues can arise in other situations as well. One couple from Sylvania, Ohio was faced with a custody issue after it was discovered that the child they were expecting was actually not their own. Through a mistake during the in-vitro fertilization process, the couple was faced with the choice of fighting for custody of the unborn child or giving it up to the child's biological parents.

The situation raises the question of who is actually a child's parent. In a situation like this one, is it the couple who created the embryo or is it the mother who carried the child during pregnancy? In some situations, a third individual will actually raise the child. Is that person considered a parent?

When it comes to custody disputes, many factors can determine who will get custody of the child. Ultimately, courts will look at what is in the best interests of the child before making a decision. But custody disputes can become complicated, especially when there are multiple individuals involved.

For the Ohio couple, they chose to carry the child to full term. They could have sued for custody since they nurtured the child before he was born. But they instead decided to give the baby back to his biological parents.

Source: Toledo on the Move online, "Sylvania couple tells world their 'Inconceivable' story," Amulya Raghuveer, 14 February 2011