London: In an extremely rare case, a 60-year-old woman in Austria has given birth to twins following IVF treatment.
It is only the second time a woman 60 years or older has given birth in Austria since 1970. The woman gave birth to twins in a clinic in Wels-Grieskirchen in Upper Austria, following in-vitro fertilisation treatment (IVF) treatment, the local media reported.
According to Klaus Reisenberger, head of the clinic's obstetrics department, the woman became pregnant by using an egg donor abroad. Until recently IVF treatment using donated eggs or sperm other than from a spouse was banned in Austria.
However, an amendment to the law on reproductive medicine in January has allowed donations as long as the recipient is aged 45 or younger. It was "an interesting question, if it makes medical sense" to allow IVF treatment for older women, Reisenberger said.
IVF treatment is known to become less effective with age, and there are also concerns for the resulting children's welfare. It is extremely rare for a 60-year-old woman to give birth. According to Statistics Austria it has only happened twice in Austria since 1970.
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