In vitro fertilization in older mothers: By choice or by law?

EDITORIAL In vitro fertilization in older mothers: By choice or by law? The in vitro fertilization (IVF) process that led to the conception of Louise Brown born on July 25, 1978, world's first test tube baby was hotly debated within medical and religious circles alike. Nonetheless, since Louise's birth in 1978, over 1 million children have been born using this procedure. At 20 weeks of pregnancy, a female fetus has 6–7 million of eggs. By the time the woman is 30 years, she will have lost nearly 90% of her eggs and at the age of 40 years, only around 3% of eggs are left. Most women are no longer able to become naturally pregnant in their mid‑40s. However, while a woman's eggs have an expiry date, the uterus, where a fertilized egg will grow, does not. " The bottom line is that the uterus can function just about until the death of the woman. " Advancement in assisted reproductive techniques is extending the boundaries of biological reproduction. While it seems there are no longer biological constraints to pregnancy past menopause, the risk of dangerous complications associated with carrying a child and giving birth significantly increase as a woman ages. Generally speaking, any woman who reaches 35 years and beyond and becomes pregnant is called older mother. How old is too old to give birth?? The answer to this question would have been obvious before, but recent advancements in fertility treatment mean, even a 60‑year‑old woman can do what was once unthinkable: Become pregnant and give birth to a healthy child. Separating the medical and ethical facts, surrounding advanced maternal age may not always be easy. Just because a woman of this age can physically become pregnant is the decision to do so ethical?? A 72‑year‑old Daljinder Kour delivered a healthy baby boy Arman Singh on April 19, 2016; 46 years after marriage and 20 years after her menopause. Desperate to have a child, Kaur's wish could be fulfilled through IVF. This is a second case at the National Fertility and Test Tube Baby Centre in Hisar, the first case was of 70‑year‑old Rajo Devi in 2006, who had given birth to a baby girl. The publicity surrounding the case of Maria Bousada, 66 years, who died 3 years after conceiving with donor eggs from an IVF in California, leaving behind her 2‑year‑old orphaned twins, sparked an ethical debate on …