Gave birth to twins at age 56

On April 7, Dr. Ha Cam Thuong, Deputy Head of the Voluntary Obstetrics Department at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, said that the older woman’s pregnancy was at high risk due to her history of cesarean section and gestational diabetes, requiring her to take insulin every day.

At week 37, the woman went into labor and a cesarean section was scheduled. “This is a risky surgery, anesthesia is very difficult,” the doctor said. Luckily, both babies were born healthy, had good reflexes, and the mother’s health was stable.

The doctor said that when pregnant over the age of 50, the mother’s overall health and resistance are poorer, so she is more tired and prone to complications such as high blood pressure, preeclampsia, placenta previa, gestational diabetes, threatened premature birth, and premature birth.

In addition, older women often have chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease… These diseases can become more severe during pregnancy, posing a danger to both mother and fetus.

Doctors recommend that women should not get pregnant at an advanced age, especially when carrying twins, which is more dangerous. If performing IVF, one embryo should be transferred and the fetus must be closely monitored and managed at a specialized medical facility with a team of experienced doctors to ensure the safety of both mother and child.

In Vietnam, most pregnant women over 50 years old seek assisted reproductive intervention. The oldest case is a 61-year-old woman in Hanoi, who became pregnant through in vitro fertilization from a donor’s egg and her husband’s sperm. A baby girl was born in 2018 weighing 2.6 kg. Another pregnant woman, 60 years old, in Bac Giang, gave birth for the third time, also thanks to in vitro fertilization. A woman who gave birth to a son at the age of 58 after two years of menopause had to ask for someone else’s egg for in vitro fertilization.