Oldest Woman to Give Birth Dies, Raising In Vitro Fertilization Ethics Issues
By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog.
Ethics have yet to catch up with technology on the fertility question, but this news item begs for nations to pass strict laws on who qualifies for in vitro fertility treatment:
MADRID — A Spanish woman who deceived a U.S. fertility clinic about her age and became the oldest woman to give birth has died at 69, leaving behind 2-year-old twins, newspapers reported Wednesday.
Bad cases make bad law. So Maria del Carmen Bousada's decision to become pregnant at age 66 by deceiving a U.S. fertility clinic is flawed from the start. She told the Los Angeles clinic where she was treated that she was 55, not 65.
It's tricky business passing judgment on women's fertility decisions because men have sired children late in life since the Old Testament described Methuselah's feat:
Gen:5:25: And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech.
Most commentators refer to more verifiable instances of late fatherhood, but you get my point.
I won't pass judgment on Bousada's decision but I would like to point out several facts. First, adoption agencies place age limits on would-be adoptive parents. So why can't countries or states adopt similar laws regarding fertility treatment? And let's hope that most older women who are stricken by a desire to parent try foster parenting first: While adoption is tough for older people, hundreds of thousands of parent-less children need loving surrogates to stand up and step forward.
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Reader Comments
What is the point here?
We cannot compare times now to Bible times. No one lives to be 187 yrs anymore, anywhere. That woman made a conscious decision to endanger the physical/ mental capacity of newborn children because of her age..and she chose to have them knowing that she ran a high risk of abandoning them by dying not too long after birth.
big difference between old man and old woman siring.
my father fathered children well into his 70's and all of us were at least blessed to have known him while he was alive. My youngest sister didnt know him long but at least she has memories of him. Good ones.
I however would never compare a man having babies late in life to that of a woman mothering children late in life. Usually when a man has babies late in life, its with a wife; A wife who is of safe natural child bearing age. Usually when a man has a fertile wife late in life, he is financially independent and secure. Thus, in the invent of his passing, the children are still financially secure. My father was also an american polygamist. When he passed there were other housemoms who took over the "father" role. (one of the untouted benefits of the polygamous family arrangement). It wasnt as if one woman was suddenly thrust with the burden of raising children alone.
This woman on the other hand was at a dangerous age to give birth. The risks to the baby and to her are immense at that age. I dont care if women want to jeopardize their own lives and welfare. Thats their business But the risks to the unborn child are too great to be worth the risk. Older women miscarry too large a percentage of their pregnancy attempts. I'm all for adoption or something like that.
From what I understand, the children are now orphans which means she didnt have a male partner (right?). It was foolish for her to have children at her age with no male partner to be there. Just stupid.
I wouldnt compare this situation to that of my dads who had a spouse who was of safe childbearing age and who was financially secure enough to provide support for his children long after his passing.
Let Me See If I Follow The New Twist In Your Usual Lack of Logic....
We should pass laws against older women who want children - but make sure they can kill those that they don't want. Doesn't this sort of expose the feminist war cry of "Reproductive Rights" and "My Body - My Choice" that they shriek whenever someone suggests that maybe they shouldn't kill babies for personal convenience - I'm just sayin'...
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