In a groundbreaking feat, a 70-year-old woman in Uganda has defied expectations by giving birth to twins through IVF treatment.
Safina Namukwaya, the resilient mother, delivered a baby boy and girl via caesarean at a fertility center in Kampala.
Ms Namukwaya, now one of the oldest women to give birth, expressed her joy and called the experience a “miracle” to local media.
The Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Centre (WHI&FC) hailed the birth as more than a medical success but a testament to human spirit.
Dr Edward Tamale Sali, a fertility specialist at WHI&FC, shared that the mother utilized a donor egg and her partner’s sperm for the IVF procedure.
Born prematurely at 31 weeks, the twins, a boy and a girl, are currently in stable condition, placed under the care of incubators.
This remarkable event echoes a similar case in 2019 when a 73-year-old Indian woman gave birth to twins following IVF treatment.
Celebrating the achievement, WHI&FC proudly shared the news on their Facebook page, marking the delivery to Africa’s oldest mother aged 70.
Ms Namukwaya revealed the challenges of her pregnancy, including the abandonment by her partner upon learning she was expecting twins.
Despite hardships, this marks Ms Namukwaya’s second delivery in three years; she previously gave birth to a baby girl in 2020.
Sharing her motivation, she mentioned wanting children after facing ridicule for being childless, pondering who would care for her in old age.
Reflecting on age norms, menopause typically occurs between 45 and 55, but medical advancements allow women to extend their fertility through techniques like IVF.
In the IVF process, eggs are fertilized in a laboratory, and embryos are implanted in the woman’s womb, enabling her to carry and deliver a child.
Safina Namukwaya’s extraordinary journey challenges societal expectations, showcasing the possibilities of motherhood at any age through medical advancements.
