India - Rajo Devi mother at 70

Devendra Uppal

Last week, Rajo Devi, from Alewa village in Haryana’s Jind district, became the proud mother of a baby girl — after 50 years of marriage. Rajo Devi became the world’s oldest woman — she is 70 years old and her husband Bala Ram is 72 — to have a child, thanks to In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).

In 2006, Adriana Iliescu, a Romanian, had become the oldest woman to give birth at the age of 67.

Dr Anurag Bishnoi of National Fertility Centre at Bishnoi Hospital, said: “Rajo Devi and Bala Ram approached the Centre for treatment and the embryo transfer was done on April 19. The baby girl was born on November 28. Both the mother and child are in good health.”

“More than 15 per cent of the Indian population is facing infertility problems, said Bishnoi, who

had closely monitored Rajo Devi’s treatment. “There are more than

200 IVF centres in the country and general awareness is growing among couples.”

“IVF has revolutionised the way we looked at infertility. Infertility is no longer a social taboo or a divine curse. It can be treated scientifically,” Bishnoi added.