A woman in Andhra Pradesh made news recently for becoming the world’s oldest mother at 74 years of age.
However, in a tragic turn of events, she suffered a stroke shortly after going into labour and now, her husband later suffered a heart attack as well.
Erramatti Mangayamma and her 82-year-old husband Sitarama Raja Rao are both currently in the intensive care unit.
On 5 September, Mangayamma successfully delivered twin girls via IVF making them what they described as “the happiest couple on Earth.”
In an earlier article on FIT, we spoke to medical experts who warned about the health consequences of such a late delivery.
Dr Noser Sheriar is a well-known gynaecologist, prominent reproductive choice advocate. He told us,
“I believe it is ethical for a post menopausal woman to have a child. Healthy women in their 40s, or even early 50s do have healthy deliveries, and we shouldn’t deny them that right. But as a doctor you have to set limits.”Dr Noser Sheriar
Dr Sherir added that the health reasons more than the sociological ones convinced him that such a late delivery might be dangerous, “It’s the health and the rights of the woman per se that should be the focus.”

The couple were married in 1962 and had been childless for 57 years and so greatly thanked their doctors for the medical miracle of a successful cesarian delivery.
However, upon hearing about the case, doctors admitted that late parenthood was becoming easier but did worry about “drawing the line.” Dr Rishma Pai, immediate past president of Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction, added,
“Look, social dynamics are changing. Women are healthier, they are fitter. So if a post-menopausal woman wants to have a child, and she is healthy enough, we do stretch it to 50 on case-to-case basis. But at some point you have to draw a line. “As responsible doctors and clinics, that line should be up to 50 years, as suggested by Indian Council of Medical Research. In exceptional cases it can be extended to 52.”Dr Rishma Pai
Dr Surveen Ghumman Sindhu, Director & Head, IVF Max Multi-Speciality Centre spoke to FIT about the medical reasons for warning against such a late deliver. For this case she said,
“While technology may have allowed it, and donor eggs that were implanted may have been those of a younger person, but her heart, her kidneys, her uterus is still that of a 74 year old!”Dr Surveen Ghumman Sindh
(This story was auto-published from a syndicated feed. No part of the story has been edited by The Quint.)
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