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Thanks to science, couples are able to have children at any age. But is it ethical to let people in their 70s and 80s give birth?

The birth of a child is a cause for joy. And modern medicine has given more people than ever the opportunity to raise a child. However, the flip side is that very old people have started to become parents.

In late 2019, the news of a 73-year-old woman giving birth in India shocked the world. Her name is Mangayamma Yaramati. She and her husband, Sitarama Rajarao, had spent a long and happy marriage with one another. In fact, they married over 50 years ago, in 1962. But they had never been able to conceive a child.

When Yaramati went into menopause, the couple believed that there was no way for them to have a child. But then IVF became more common in India, and the couple’s hopes were reignited.

The couple had spent their lives saving up. And with this money, the two were able to afford several rounds of IVF.

However, the couple was in luck. Yaramati became pregnant after just one round of treatment. They later learned that she was carrying twins.

The hospital that had administered the IVF monitored Yaramati closely.

“From that time, we formed into teams. So we formed three teams, one to look after her pregnancy, and one team to look after nutritional needs, and another team to look after general health.” – Uma Shankar, Doctor.

After nine months, Yaramati went into labor. Luckily, the doctors were able to give the expectant mother a C-section, and the operation went without a hitch.

Yaramati and her twins had to remain in the hospital for 22 days, so that doctors could monitor their health. This monitoring went well, and they were then allowed to return home.

Of course, the birth has been controversial. It’s hard to imagine that a couple in their 70s and 80s (the husband was 82 at the time of birth) could possibly have the strength to raise two children.

Additionally, it’s unlikely that the parents will still be alive by the time that the children reach adulthood. Both parents are already well above the average life expectancy age of India, which in 2018 was 68 for males and 70 for females.

However, the couple believes that they can raise the child successfully. Rajarao later told reporters that his wife had gained a whole new lease on life due to motherhood.

Additionally, the doctors decided to approve the IVF treatment after they tested Yaramati and found that she was in good health for her age. Of course, many people would be concerned about future health complications, but that didn’t affect the doctors’ decisions in this instance.

This story has certainly outraged people online. One YouTube video, which has gained almost 250,000 views, saw many comments that were critical of the couple. People have been saying things like this:

Of course, this issue is complex. It is possible to create a law that dictates an age when women should no longer be able to receive IVF, but is that right? Should people have the freedom to become pregnant at any age if they so wish? And at what age should an IVF age limit be if it is to be implemented?

Perhaps in the future, babies being born to septuagenarians and octogenarians will become commonplace, or perhaps it will be illegal. Only time will tell.

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Source: Guardian News, World Bank, CNN, Global News