GESTIÓN EN SALUD PÚBLICA: BioEdge: 73-year-old Indian woman gives birth to twins

domingo, 8 de septiembre de 2019

BioEdge: 73-year-old Indian woman gives birth to twins

BioEdge: 73-year-old Indian woman gives birth to twins

Bioedge

73-year-old Indian woman gives birth to twins

by Michael Cook | 7 Sep 2019 | 1 comment

^{Mangayamma Yaramati and her husband, Sitarama Rajarao, at their baby shower}

A 73-year-old woman has given birth to healthy twins in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Her 82-year-old husband had a stroke the next day and is being treated in hospital.

Mangayamma Yaramati and her husband, Sitarama Rajarao, had the misfortune of never having children and suffered from social stigma. “They would call me a childless lady,” she told the media. We tried many times and saw numerous doctors, so this is the happiest time of my life.”

The children were conceived with a donor egg and the husband’s sperm. They were delivered with a Caesarean section.

“I don’t think she will have any major health issues in the post-delivery period,” her doctor says. “However, she cannot breastfeed the babies. But no worries. We can feed the babies with milk obtained from the milk bank.”

The childless couple had almost given up hope of ever becoming parents when a 55-year-old neighbour became pregnant using IVF. Inspired by her example, Ms Yaramati consulted an IVF expert last year and treatment began.

When asked who would care for the children if anything were to happen to their parents, Mr Rajarao said: “Whatever should happen will happen. It is all in the hands of God.”

Michael Cook is editor of BioEdge

Below is an article about a 73-year-old Indian woman who has just given birth to twin boys. This is a story which used to fly onto the front page, but is now a bit ho-hum. To stir media interest, we need to break through the next barrier. “Centenarian gives birth to twins, say Indian doctors” – now that would be newsworthy, I think. At least the first centenarian would.

The ho-hum factor may account for the fact that few questions were raised about obvious ethical issues involved in septuagenarians giving birth.

First of all, it is obviously reinforcing a sexist stereotype – that a woman is useless unless she has children. Furthermore, despite reassuring words from the doctors, it is a serious risk to the mother’s health.

Second, the children of a 73-year-old mother will soon be orphans. In fact, their father had a stroke on the day after they were born. No one seems to be thinking about their welfare and their future. They are just status symbols for their parents and the doctors.

Why did the doctors cooperate? For the money? For the fame? It strikes me as completely unethical.