74-Year-Old Indian Woman Gives Birth To Twins; Husband Has Stroke Next Day
How is this possible??
Instagram.com It’s official; science has made the impossible happen. Through IVF, a 74-year-old Southern India woman named Erramatti Mangayamma successfully gave birth to twin girls via c-section on Thursday.
Even after reaching menopause, Mangayamma and her 82-year-old husband E. Raja Rao were determined to have their own children and visited many doctors but were unsuccessful in their attempts for many years. According to People, the couple discovered the option of IVF “after learning of a neighbor who had undergone the process at 55.” After consulting with Dr. Umashankar, the doctor ran several medical tests on Mangayamma and determined she was indeed an eligible candidate for IVF. Dr. Umashankar then immediately began the IVF process.
“She decided to try the method and approached us. We were surprised at her willpower,” Dr. Umashankar told The Hindustan Times.
For nine months, 10 doctors monitored the health of Mangayamma who stayed in the hospital for eight months for observation, according to Gulf News. The doctor also noted after the birth that regular scans did not show any signs of complications for the mother or children. “It’s due to the grace of God and doctors that I have now become a proud father of two baby girls,” added her husband, Rao. “We are the happiest couple on Earth today. We have our own children.”
This birth has raised many ethical and moral concerns regarding the late age of the new parents. Parenting is hard enough at any age, but taking the risk to have children so late tacks on a lot of risk for both the parents and the children who are in completely opposite life stages, which both demand extra care. Health in old age is so unpredictable and makes one way more susceptible to health problems arising at any time. I can’t imagine parenting at such an old age and I hope that there are other family members willing to step in and help contribute towards raising these children.
How was this pregnancy possible — who Is Erramatti Mangayamma?
1. Erramatti Mangayamma has made history as the oldest woman to give birth
Erramatti Mangayamma is reportedly the oldest woman to have given birth. The second oldest woman is another Indian woman name Daljinder Kaur, who gave birth three years ago, in her early 70s, according to the Washington Post. “In 2007, a 59-year-old British mother broke the world record for giving birth after a natural pregnancy," according to The Telegraph.
2. Erramatti’s husband suffered a stroke a day after the birth of the twin girls
Just a day after the birth of his daughters, Rajarao suffered a stroke and is currently being treated in the hospital.
3. Pregnancy is possible for postmenopausal women through IVF
Although this was a challenging process, Mangayamma has In vitro fertilization (IVF) technology to thank for making this pregnancy possible. Due to Erramatti being unable to produce her own eggs, the couple used an egg donor. According to the Washington Post, “A donor’s egg was fertilized with Rajarao’s sperm before it was implanted in the new mother, doctors told the Hindustan Times."
According to Shannon Clark, a professor of maternal and fetal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch, “A woman’s eggs deteriorate in quality and quantity over time, but her uterus ‘is not subject to the same age constraints,’ Clark explained. By turning to egg donors, as Yaramati did, women are able to carry babies at an advanced age,” Washington Post reported.
4. The couple has been trying to get pregnant for 25 years
According to BBC, the couple had tried to get pregnant, post-menopause, through the help of doctors for years and were constantly stigmatized in their village for being childless. “Neighbors would call me ‘godralu’ [a curse word for a childless woman]. However, my husband stood by me like a rock,” People reported.
5. The mother responded when asked what would happen if anything were to happen to her or her husband
"Nothing is in our hands. Whatever should happen will happen. It is all in the hands of God," Mr Rajarao said, according to Unilad.
6. The couple performed 'Seemantham,' a few hours before the birth
Seemantham is a traditional ceremony that is intended to bless a pregnant woman with safe delivery and good health. The ceremony is typically done during the eighth month of pregnancy but due to the circumstances, doctors advised Erramatti to hold off on the ceremony. "The nursing home organized the ceremony in the premises a few hours before the delivery. Hospital staff, relatives and well-wishers greeted the couple," Gulf News reported.
Elizabeth Ward is a writing student finishing her bachelor’s at the University of Louisville. You can find her painting, dancing to her heart's content, or binging the Office.