Due to medical advances, many couples decide to pursue the IVF (intrauterine insemination) journey to have children, even after the age of 70.
Recently, 70-year-old Safina Namukwaya gave birth to a boy and a girl through IVF. The cesarean section was performed at the International Women's Hospital Fertility Center in Uganda on November 29. She shared that she felt great after the twins were born. The hospital also said that this was a "historic" event.
According to the American Society for Fertility, IVF is generally not recommended for women over 55 because of the risks associated with pregnancy. Brian Levine, clinical director at CCRM Fertility Clinic in New York, USA, said the decision to artificially inseminate Namukwaya was "extremely irresponsible".
However, Edward Tamale Sali, the doctor in charge of Namukwaya, did not hesitate to do so. "It's her body, she has the right," he said.
Namukwaya’s two children were both premature, born at 31 weeks. The twins were transferred to the intensive care unit and are now in stable condition.
In fact, Namukwaya is not alone in pursuing IVF at an advanced age.
In September 2019, Mangayamma Yaramati, 73, and her husband Sitarama Rajarao, 82, welcomed their first set of twins. They were both overjoyed when their children were born. A day later, Mr. Rajarao suffered a heart attack and was treated at Ahalya Hospital in southern India. Ms. Yaramati has also needed special care since giving birth.
Safina Namukwaya at the Women's Hospital International and Fertility Centre in Uganda. Photo: Women's Hospital International and Fertility Centre
The couple married in 1962 but had difficulty conceiving. For decades they sought medical and spiritual help, but to no avail. Because of her childlessness, Yaramati was “looked upon with disdain” by her neighbors in Andhra Pradesh state, who considered her a “cursed woman”.
The couple had almost given up hope of becoming parents when they were in their 70s. However, after hearing about a neighbor’s experience of getting pregnant through IVF at the age of 55, they felt like they had found light at the end of the tunnel. Despite being nearly 25 years post-menopausal, Ms. Yaramati consulted an IVF specialist and began her treatment journey.
Both used donor eggs and Mr Rajarao's sperm. The embryos were then implanted in Ms Yaramati. After more than nine months of pregnancy, the twins were born by caesarean section.
Dr Sanakkayala Umasankar, director of the Ahalya Nursing Home in Guntur, described it as a “medical miracle”. Ms Yaramati did not have any serious problems, but required special care. She was also unable to breastfeed her baby.
The strange birth has received much criticism from experts, but the hospital said they had complied with all relevant regulations.
Previously, in 2016, Daljinder Kaur, 72, living in Amritsar, also gave birth to a baby boy through in vitro fertilization. The sperm was taken from her husband, Mohinder Singh Gill, 79. After two failed IVF attempts, she became pregnant successfully in July 2015.
According to Dr. Anurag Bishnoi, an embryologist and director of the National Fertility and IVF Center, Ms. Kaur first sought this method in 2013. Because of her weak health, she was referred to a cardiologist and a series of other tests to determine the chances of success.
Dr Firuza Parikh, an IVF specialist in Mumbai, said that scientific advances are pushing older couples to undergo IVF. However, medical data shows that as the mother ages, the risk of health complications during pregnancy increases. Complications include low blood pressure, low blood sugar, pre-eclampsia, which can affect both mother and baby.
She believes that treatment should only be given when it is certain that the woman will not suffer from any age-related health risks such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis. She also questions the quality and ability of an elderly couple to raise children.
"Are they physically and mentally able to support their child through their teenage years, into college? As doctors, we need to advise them about the long-term implications of becoming a parent at an advanced age," she said.
Thuc Linh (According to Insider, Hindustan Times, Times of India )
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