A Ugandan woman who became one of the world’s oldest new mothers when she gave birth to a son and a daughter at the age of 70 finally returned home six weeks later — and introduced the “miracle” baby to the world.
Safina Namukwaya gave birth to the couple via C-section on November 29 at the Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Center in the capital Kampala, where she received in-vitro fertilization treatment.
The hospital described it as a “miracle at 70” as it posted a photo of the smiling mother and her new baby as she finally took them home on Saturday.
“At the age of 70, mother Safina Namukwaya’s love developed into a miracle, giving birth to twins with Dr. Edward Tamale-Sali,” read the caption of the photo shared on the hospital’s Facebook page.
“Their hands are not only holding babies, but jewels of hope, proving that a mother’s love transcends time and age.”
A beaming Namukwaya was seen clutching one bundle of joy while the doctor held another.
Safina Namukwaya, a 70-year-old Ugandan woman who defied the odds and gave birth to twins, has brought them home for the first time after a C-section. Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Center
“She can’t stop staring at them,” Tamale-Sali told TODAY.com of Namukwaya, adding that she is a “loving” and “playful” mother to her two babies, named Shakira Babiyre Nabagala and Kato Shafique Kangave.
The doctor also announced on the show that she will be known in her village as Nalongo, which means mother of twins, while her husband, Walusimbi Badru, will be called Salongo, or father of twins.
Before she welcomed her first child three years ago, Namukwaya said she was labeled in her village as a “cursed woman” for failing to conceive.
At a press conference outside the hospital Saturday, Tamale-Sali recalled how Namukwaya woke up and about the same day she gave birth to the twins — and joked that she was now “almost playing soccer,” Today.com reported.
Namukwaya received in-vitro fertilization treatment with donor eggs and her partner’s sperm. Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Center
“She is fit, her blood pressure is normal, she does not have diabetes – she is a very healthy woman and the whole of Africa is happy for her,” he said.
“If you want another child, we’re here,” the doctor then told Naumukwaya, half joking.
Dr. Gloria Lunyolo, a twin pediatrician describes them as “miracle babies,” and says they alternate between formula and breast milk.
Namukwaya, who also has a 3-year-old daughter, told TODAY.com two days after giving birth that she felt “great.”
Shakira Babiyre Nabagala and Kato Shafique Kangave weigh over 5 pounds each.
“Some may think that 70 years is old, but God decided that I had twins at the age of 70. There is no one who can limit God’s power and authority,” he told the outlet.
“Some households will help me wash and baby because of my advanced age,” she said, adding that pregnancy at her age was not easy and she felt very sick because of it.
Due to her age, Namukwaya used donor eggs and her husband’s sperm.
“We implanted four embryos, and sure enough, she was pregnant with twins,” Tamale-Sali previously told TODAY.com.
The twins were born prematurely at 31 weeks gestation and were placed in an incubator.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine states that embryo transfer is “not recommended in women over the age of 55.”
Dr. Brian Levine, practice director at the CCRM fertility clinic in New York City, told TODAY.com that it is “irresponsible” to impregnate a woman in her 70s.
Namukwaya had her first child in the late sixties, also with the help of IVF treatment. Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Center
“Data shows that women who give birth over the age of 50 have higher rates of hypertension, gestational diabetes and premature birth,” Levine told the outlet.
“If a 70-year-old gets a blood clot, has a stroke, or has a heart attack, the child will have developmental and possibly physical delays. And who will take care of these medically fragile children when their parents die?” he said.
But Tamale-Sali said she did not hesitate to treat Namukwaya because “it is a basic human right. That’s his body. He is physically healthy.”
This is not the first time a woman outside the traditional age of giving birth has become a mother.
In 2019, a 73-year-old woman in southern India gave birth to twin girls after undergoing IVF treatment.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
