Late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala’s parents are expecting their second child while his mother is 58. It has been confirmed through sources that Sidhu’s mother, Charan Singh, went for IVF treatment and was successful in conceiving a baby who is due to arrive in March. Sidhu was their only son who was murdered in May 2022.
But is pregnancy this late possible? To get a clarity on this, OnlyMyHealth team interacted with Dr. Abhinay Singh, Senior Infertility Specialist, NOVA IVF Hospital, Dehradun.
Is Pregnancy In Late 50s Possible?
We were all introduced to an altogether new idea when the Badhaai Ho movie came across where Neena Gupta’s character, who is probably in her late 40s or early 50s, accidentally got pregnant and her 25-year-old son was embarrassed. The movie somewhat normalised middle-aged pregnancy in India. But can a woman, who is just about to enter her 60s and mostly would have been done with her menopause, actually get pregnant?
Shedding some light and reducing confusion Dr Singh said, “A woman who has reached her menopause can still mother a child through IVF but this is only possible through oocyte/egg donation as all the ovarian reserve in her own body has depleted. The risks associated are the ones which are because of her age at the time of menopause. If the menopause is early as in premature ovarian failure, say under the age of 35-40, the risks of complicated pregnancy is lesser as compared to the normal menopausal age, that is after the age of 45.”
Also read: Importance of Support Services For Couples Going Through IVF, Expert Explains
Possible Risks In Late Pregnancy
In late 30s pregnancy can come with a risk so late 50s pregnancy would be more complicated. Dr Singh said, “Delayed pregnancy is harmful to both the mother and the child, she is nursing in her uterus. Complications of pregnancy including pregnancy induced hypertension, pregnancy related diabetes, growth restriction in foetus and age associated risks of genetic diseases in the child, have a higher chance of occurring in advanced age groups of women.”
Adding further, he said, “A child born through any assisted reproductive technology has exactly the same set of risks with respect to any health conditions as compared to a child born via a natural process. In other words, the risks are no more or no less. This has been proven by multiple research and studies carried out over many decades.”
Also read: Mediterranean Diet Helps Boosts IVF Success Rate: Study
IVF Associated Risks
According to Dr Singh, over the due time, risks associated with IVF procedure have significantly decreased due to safety protocols being used. Dr Singh said, “Though the chances of complications such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and multiple pregnancy have decreased a lot over time due to change in preferred treatment protocols, they are still there. The main risks attributed to IVF pregnancies are majorly due to the advanced age of women undergoing IVF treatment rather than the due process itself. The risks associated with anaesthesia are similar to any other procedure.”