A 63-year-old Tasmanian woman has given birth to a baby girl in a Melbourne hospital with the help of IVF.
The first-time mum – who reportedly gave birth by c-section at 34 weeks in Frances Perry house private hospital – now holds the title of Australia’s oldest mum.
While the mother and her 78-year-old partner would likely be delighted by the birth of their child their choice to start a family has ignited controversy.
Monash University professor Gab Kovacs told the Daily Telegraph that the natural end to pregnancy was about 53 and for IVF physicians to assist anyone to give birth past that age was “irresponsible”.
“Our bodies weren’t designed to have children in our 60s. I don’t think any – responsible IVF unit in Australia would treat someone of that age, and it’s not a standard of medicine I would condone,” Dr Kovacs said.
He also worried about who would ‘look after’ the child for the next twenty years because Dr Kovacs said “there’s a possibility she won’t be able to do that.”
Channel 9 reports that the woman was inseminated overseas.
The previous record for Australia’s oldest mum was set by a woman who gave birth to her first child in her 60s. Earlier this year Daljinder Kaur 72, gave birth to a baby boy with the help of IVF – she is reportedly the world’s oldest mum.
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