Should Women over a certain age be allowed to have children?

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DonDaddyD

::Gesturing ala Nas::
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I'll tell you in another lifetime when we are both
Sourece: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4971930.stm

Doctor defends IVF for woman, 63


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Patricia Rashbrook

A controversial fertility doctor has defended his decision to give IVF to a 63-year-old woman who is set to become Britain's oldest mother.
Severino Antinori says he only treated psychiatrist Patricia Rashbrook, of East Sussex, in an unnamed European country after strict medical checks.
Dr Rashbrook, who is seven months pregnant with her fourth child, said she was delighted with the pregnancy.
Dr Antinori said age 62 or 63 was the upper limit for IVF in healthy women.

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We are very happy to have given life to an already much-loved baby
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Farrants' statement

He said he would only consider couples with at least 20 years' life expectancy left for fertility treatment, but argued that older people made better parents.
He said Patricia and her husband John Farrant had come to him at his clinic in Rome, where he specialises in treating older women, three years ago and informed him about their wish to have a baby.
"When the couple love each other they naturally want to have a baby.
"Age isn't important in this decision - what's important is the physical condition of the mother."

'Controversial aspects'
He implanted one fertilised donor egg in Dr Rashbrook's womb.
The couple said a great deal of thought had been given to how best to provide and plan for the child's present and future well-being.
"We are very happy to have given life to an already much-loved baby, and our wish now is to give him the peace and security he needs."
They insisted the child's welfare was their top priority and asked for their privacy to be respected.

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It's pretty clear that she would have needed donor eggs because of her age
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Dr Allan Pacey
Secretary of the British Fertility Society

Dr Antinori first made headlines in 1994 by helping a post-menopausal 63-year-old woman become pregnant with donor eggs and hormones.
And he has said he wanted to be the first doctor to produce a cloned human baby.
There is no age limit for fertility treatment set down in UK law, and whether a particular person is treated is left to the clinical judgment of doctors.

But a spokesman for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said clinics must take into account the welfare of the child, including the health, age and ability to provide for the needs of the child or children.

Health risks?
Most British fertility experts hold back from treating women aged over 45 because of these issues.
But secretary to the British Fertility Society and senior lecturer at Sheffield University, Dr Allan Pacey, said that older women are able to get pregnant fairly easily using IVF but she would have needed donor eggs because of her age.
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Nature puts a stop to fertility and prevents fertility for a reason.
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Ryan, Rome, Italy

"She would have needed hormonal treatment to get her body to respond in the right way. As long as there's nothing wrong with the womb it should be OK.
"However, there are some health risks associated with older women getting pregnant, they are more likely to get high blood pressure, diabetes, develop problems with the placenta and then need a Caesarean section."

'Selfish'
The reports of Dr Rashbrook's pregnancy have sparked an outcry from pro-life groups.
Josephine Quintavalle, from Comment on Reproductive Ethics (Core), accused Dr Rashbrook of selfishness and said it would be extremely difficult for a child to have a mother who is as old as a grandmother.
Dr Rashbrook is not the first woman in her 60s to become a new mother.
Liz Buttle, from Wales, was 60 years old when she gave birth to a son, Joseph, in 1997. The oldest woman in the world to give birth is thought to be Adriana Iliescu, from Romania, who had a daughter called Eliza Maria in January last year at the age of 66.
 
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63?!?? Holy craptoast batman!

Anyway...lol. Personally I think that's ridiculous. In my opinion 63 is WAY WAY too old to be having children. I mean, common, when the child is 20 the mother will be in her 80s! It's not fair to the child to have to possibly go through the teasing and taunting because their mother (or parents) are so old; that and the possibility of loosing their mother/parents at such a young age.

I don't agree with this at all.
 
I DO think there should be a controlled age for women. But I guess that would be unfair to suggest. However with the health risks, the uncertaintly of the child(ren) its a good idea.

I would say the cut off should be somewhere in the fourties. :nod: However, women should have the liberty to say what goes. It can go either way, I suppose. :shrug:
 
The main reason I'd be against women over 60 having children is that to be honest-it's mighten be that long until something happens to them and then what about the poor kiddies.
But I know a couple that are in their 60's and have a child who is 13/14 and well they're as healthy as you get.
That's not to say that something couldn't happen,but in some cases the age doesn't matter and the family have a long life together.
 
Well most parents,well a good lot of them having trouble relating with them anyway.But the kid has the same freedom as most kids.You'd think they'd be strict but they're not.I suppose they're at a age where they want to give him everything and make him happy for as long as they can.
 
Well I and my parent's do relate and share many of the same interests but then there is only 20yrs that seperates us so that aren't too far removed from my generation.

But can my Grandparents relate to what I'm going through now, my wants and desires? Brutal honest truth is no.

There are much social defining things in society now that wasn't a factor when that 60yr old woman was younger, how will she be ables to grasp the social aspects of fitting in that her child will go through?

I question how could she possibly bond with her child on a social level that a parent can when she has the perseptive of a Grandparent.
 
Because she's a mother I'd say.I don't think that age could change that.These days there are so many 70 year olds that look younger than they are.So it's hard for me to think that a child is doomed because they're parents(notice the way I'm saying 'parents' ;) ) are older than most.
You don't have to have deep meaningful conversations with your parents to have an enjoyable life with them and bond.IMO
 
YES you do, you do need to have that bond with your parents IMO, I love talking to my parents about aspects of life they've been through.

How will such am elderly person handle a teenager with all the hormones, or a hyperactive child?

Personally I think she/they (see what I did there ;) ) is/are too far removed in age to be able to meet her/their child on the level they would need to. That child will probably not have a parent it can turn to because it will immediately think that its parents won't understand.

And in this case they won't they are like 4 generations between them.
 
I never said that a bond isn't needed.I meant deep meaningful conversations in the sense where the mum is like "Hey son want to talk about girls"
"No mum I don't".
The bond is already there no matter what age you are.
Now I know that it's a strain for older mums to give birth but why isn't there an issued raised against older dads?
I mean what if a man in his late 60's gets married to a woman in say her late 20's early 30'2 (as often is the case) and they have a child?
Would an issue be raised that it's unfair and stupid for him to be having children at his age? Is not the fathers bond something to discuss too?
 
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DonDaddyD
Good argument you added another dimension to the discussion.
Arion said:
ever said that a bond isn't needed.I meant deep meaningful conversations in the sense where the mum is like "Hey son want to talk about girls"
"No mum I don't".
The bond is already there no matter what age you are.
Now I know that it's a strain for older mums to give birth but why isn't there an issued raised against older dads?
I mean what if a man in his late 60's gets married to a woman in say her late 20's early 30'2 (as often is the case) and they have a child?
Would an issue be raised that it's unfair and stupid for him to be having children at his age? Is not the fathers bond something to discuss too?
Click to expand...

I knew this would be a good fit!

You probably have every women on this board clapping there hands, including one known feminst;)

I think both parents are too old to have a child at 60, both physically and inregards to the social and psychological development of the child. True there will be an emotional bond, but beyond the intial instincts how much more can the child and parents relationship develope.

This is what I meant by 'relate'.
 
Well if an elderly parent suddely start do what a lot of parents do-i'e dress like young people and start using the slan in order to fit in I bet we'd be having a different conversation and you'd be saying "that's going too far" :D :p
Are we expecting the older parents to be able to hang out and do the things younger parents might be able for? How many parents hang out with their teenagers and ingage in 'all' the activitites their children do?
 
All able body parents do, they take their kids to the park, swimming, sports etc. But it isn't just that I'm thinking when the child becomes a pushy teenager how are two ederly people going to (i) keep the childs respect (ii) stand up to them when they push too far?
 
You people are crazy. they can't relate? it's not about relating it's about raising a healthy child. Parents in their 60's most certainly can and should be ALLOWED to have children. how many GRANDPARENTS have gone to raise their grandchildren at an advanced age? Someone talked about ridicule? kids will find SOMETHING to ridicule another kid, doesnt matter what, looks,height,weight,clothes whatever. we should ridicule this thread. lol.
 
I don't think it needs to be ridiculed actually and here is why:

There is 19 years between myself and my Mother and 32years between my brother and our Mother.

My Mum fears that my brother views her and our Dad as old fashioned. Within that my Mum sees my brother not coming to my her with his interests or problems because as she belives, my brother doesn't think she'll understand. A very apparant problem could arise when my brother wants to do something and my Mum is trying to explain why he can't, 'you don't understand' turns into a lack of respect.

So she has spent time understanding the society and culture of my brother's genertaion so that she can meet him on his terms so that he'll respect hers. Part of raising a healthy child is being to meet them on a psychological level and that involves a meeting of minds something that won't happen if both parties cannot relate or find common ground. By being able to find common ground or to 'relate' to the childs World, the parent has a better chance of raising the kid into a well rounded individual. (It's why when young children play on the floor psychologists have noted that a parent should not sit on a chair but join them on the floor to further meet with the child and help elminate the age and role barrier).

Now obviously my Mother's fears are born out of the closeness I and her have in age but there is truth within what she fears.

How is this 60yr old Woman ever going to find common ground with her child in the teenage stage? How will she gain the childs respect or share the kind of emotional and psychological bond of parents and their children of younger ages.

I have a close bond too my grandparents but I'd rather talk to my Mother about jobs and financial difficulties not because she is my Mum, but because she has a better understanding of things in the World of today (my works my grandparents are retired; different perspectives). Ergo, my Mother can relate to my plight.

In my eyes this 60yr old and her child will forever be detached on all social and more complex emotional levels with the exception of the most basic one. Yes there experiences of upbrining will be different and possible can draw on these to form 'ties' but how strong will they be in a society where its norms are so life defining?
 
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