Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Unanswered Questions

After yesterday's riveting article about a 70-year old Indian woman having a baby, I received a few requests for more information on this. I was as shocked as you were, and in fact, I was so freaked out that I couldn't bring myself to delve into the subject. I've had time to think about this and do some research, so here are some of your Unanswered Questions.

Has the woman gone through menopause? Yes, Rajo Devi went through menopause twenty years ago.

Is it possible for a woman who has gone through menopause to conceive, carry, and give birth? Yes to all three thanks to Invetro Fertilization (IVF). A donated egg is fertilized with a donated sperm and once it is fertilized the zygote is transferred into the woman's uterus and it becomes a growing embryo. In this case, the baby was conceived through the use of a donor egg that was injected with Devi's 72-year old husband's sperm. The embryo transfer took place on April 18, and the baby was delivered by a C-section on November 28.

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