Worlds Oldest Mother

Busman747 · 17-01-2005, 23:05

World's Oldest Mother - Aged 66

Adriana Iliescu says motherhood has given her a new lease of life

A 66-year-old Romanian has become the world's oldest woman ever to give birth.

Doctors in Bucharest said Adriana Iliescu, who was artificially inseminated, delivered a daughter by Caesarean section. The child's twin sister was stillborn.

Iliescu's daughter - Eliza Maria - was born more than six weeks premature, said a Giulesti Maternity Hospital spokeswoman.

She weighed just 3.19lb, less than half the weight of an average newborn, and was in the intensive care unit but breathing on her own, she added.

"We are happy that the mother and child are normal and we hope this will continue,'' said Dr Bogdan Marinescu, who runs the hospital. Doctors performed the emergency Caesarean section after the smaller of Mrs Iliescu's twins died in the womb, the spokeswoman said. That child weighed just 1.54lb.

"The mother is doing well - she is saying she has been given a new lease of life,'' the spokeswoman said.

Mrs Iliescu underwent fertility treatment for nine years, including procedures to reverse the effects of menopause, before being artificially inseminated, Dr Marinescu revealed.

He said he successfully inseminated Mrs Iliescu on his first attempt, and that she initially was carrying triplets but lost the third foetus after nine to 10 weeks.

Baby Eliza Maria was born six weeks early

Asked why he had let a 66-year-old woman become pregnant, Dr Marinescu said: "She was in the right condition to carry a pregnancy.''

There was no law in Romania stipulating a maximum age for artificial insemination, he said. He declined to comment on ethical questions regarding the pregnancy.

However, he said he was impressed by Mrs Iliescu's faith in God and her determination to have a child.

BLOODY DISGUSTING!! What possesses doctors to do such a thing?

Busman747 · 17-01-2005, 23:12

When I think of all the women of child bearing age that do not have the money or live in a low-tech country that do not have the expertise..........and yet they play God with a 66 year old woman WHY??

simon · 17-01-2005, 23:13

The menopause happens for very good reasons.................. to stop this happening............

Why?????????????????????????????

Who can benefit from this other than an unknown doctor getting a lot of publicity....

Acrylic-bob · 18-01-2005, 07:02

Aren't we clever.

lettie · 18-01-2005, 07:06

There's something sickening about this story. I remember a few years ago there was a doctor In Italy who used to perform IVF on ladies in their 50's and had some success, and I thought that was unethical. Many women are now putting off having their children into their 40's. It is perfectly acceptable to have a baby now when you are in your early 40's, many of these are natural conceptions, natural being the operative word.
The risks of having complicated pregnancies do rise with age. I am currently wondering what kind of recovery this woman will have from her Caesarian Section, bearing in mind that this is a major operation and she now has a baby to look after. Another question I am asking is, who is going to look after this child when the mother inevitably dies of old age or age related problems. Chances are this will happen while this child is still relatively young. Does this woman have grown up children who will look after this little girl, and if so, what the hell was this Doctor doing providing fertility treatment for this woman. I think he should be struck off.

WillowTheWhisp · 18-01-2005, 07:14

This is apparently her only child and she is a single parent. No doubt the child will end up in an orphanage before long. The baby didn't have a normal birth anyway being 6 weeks premature and needed help with breathing at first.

I'm sure you are more familiar with problems relating to premature babies Lettie.

This 66 year old woman currently recovering from a major operation will be bringing up a child with possible health problems and further difficulties. Will she be able to cope? I find it hard to believe that she will.

lettie · 18-01-2005, 07:47

I highly doubt that this woman will cope for very long. The baby's breathing difficulties could range from very serious respiratory distress syndrome which is life threatening to very mild grunting at 34 weeks gestation. The difficulties wouldn't have been helped by the Caesarian, as lung fluid will not have been squeezed out of the baby's lungs during the birth. Babies are born vaginally for a reason. This baby is likely to be difficult to feed, as the suck reflex isn't as well developed at this gestation and of course with any prem baby there is an infection risk. The Section was probably performed because it was a twin pregnancy and they were probably lying in difficult to deliver positions. There is always a risk of having one live baby and one dead baby with twins. Unfortunately when one twin dies, especially when they are out of the first trimester it is not wise to leave it in there, as that can cause problems too. The third baby which died at a very early gestation wouldn't have caused a problem.
This woman will be at greater risk of post op complications due to her age. She is a definite embolism risk. Embolism is the main cause of death for pregnant and post natal women in the UK according to the latest figures in the document Why Women Die. I can't help but think that this woman probably has some psychological problems to actually want to do this in the first place, and don't even get me started on the irresponsible dolt of a so-called doctor.

-pixie · 18-01-2005, 08:15

I think its disgraceful, and she is one selfish woman. She seems to have no regard for the child's future.

Busman747 · 18-01-2005, 08:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by -pixie

I think its disgraceful, and she is one selfish woman. She seems to have no regard for the child's future.

Selfish....Yes, but I bet that she is also a very wealthy woman

Margaret Pilkington · 18-01-2005, 10:45

How GROSS is that?????? She is one selfish OLD woman.

vorlon24 · 18-01-2005, 12:44

I think it would have been slightly better if it had been all naturally done - accidents happen, after all.

The part that is strange is that various doctors gave her drugs to firstly reverse the effects of the menopause, and secondly for fertility treatment.

As Simon has already stated, the menopause happens for a reason.

What was the motivation for either party? If it was for money, there are far easier ways to obtain money instead of having children willy nilly.

If it was because she wanted children, well, she should have thought of that when she was in a position to be able to do so, and look after the child at least until she is ready to leave home and look after herself.

The life expectancy of females in Romania is a little over 73, so her daughter will be 7 if she lives to this age. I very much doubt that there are any family to look after this child - no one probably knows who the father is, and there are no siblings to take of her either.

So yes, it would seem that she is very selfish, and she is far too old to be looking after a newborn baby.

The myth of sitting in a rocking chair by the fire with the baby in your arms is a myth that will very soon be dispelled when she is woken several times in the night by a baby that wants feeding, nappy changing or winding.

janet · 18-01-2005, 14:17

She would have been a lot better off getting herself a pet at her age, a lot less hassle.I just can not believe that she would have wanted a child at such an old age. I have to feel very sorry for the child being brought up by someone old enough to be her great Grandma.

WillowTheWhisp · 18-01-2005, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by vorlon24

The life expectancy of females in Romania is a little over 73, so her daughter will be 7 if she lives to this age. I very much doubt that there are any family to look after this child - no one probably knows who the father is, and there are no siblings to take of her either.

The father was a sperm donor so wouldn't have any responsibility anyway. She isn't even the biological mother. This was IVF by donor of both egg and sperm - it's not as if she has even given birth to a child connected to her bloodline if you know what I mean. I doubt she would have been permitted to adopt one of the numerous orphans in her country and yet all she is now doing is adding to the burden in the future.

Selfish doesn't even begin to describe her. I hope the medical profession will be keeping an eye on how she copes, for the sake of the child. It's bad enough those sleepless nights etc when you are younger but at her age I just can't image how she will manage.

KiTChener · 19-01-2005, 00:16

This thread seems to be universally condemning the lady(?) concerned.
Sorry, but I agree with you all!!
However, having been married for almost 40 yrs, now being the proud
head of a family consisting of two daughters, three grandchildren, I've got to say, that, had such medical wizardry been available in our day, we very well may have gone along the same route.
You see, we could not carry a child full term. So, we went for the only alternative, in those days.... adoption.
We've fought the stigmas that some people seem to cast on our children, & we have all come through it as better persons. My daughters are, I feel, more well-balanced than any of our contemporaries. They have never had the problems that beset so many of their 'friends'.
We now have three absolutely beautiful grandchildren, aged from 11yrs down to 6weeks, & thank God every day for our blessings.
So, in a way, I can understand why this lady wanted a child so much, but, I cannot accept why she left it so late!
If she wanted a child so much, surely adopting one of the many 'unwanted' children in her country would have fulfilled her so-called 'maternal' needs? She could, assuming her apparant wealth, have done this many years ago, ensuring that her adopted child(ren) would be well looked after, had the inevitable happened.
I think that, reading between the lines, she is a vulnerable person that has been taken advantage of by a 'high flying' quack doctor, out to make a name for himself, at her expense.
Don't want to appear controversial, but look forward to other member's reactions.

lettie · 19-01-2005, 04:56

I have to agree about the quack. I think that he has been totally unethical in bringing this woman out of menopause in order to conceive. I don't think this woman is a wealthy idiot though. I thought she was some sort of professor. There is a rough age limit to IVF in this country and I'm sure that many doctors here have the ethics to refuse IVF requests from women who are considered to be too old. There are always doctors and scientists who will try procedures wondering if they will work, but this wouldn't have got ethical approval here.