After years of trying, an elderly Indian couple has done what was previously thought near-inconcievable and have welcomed their first child into the world.
The baby was conceived after Daljinder Kaur, 72, and Arman Singh, 79, underwent two years of fertility treatment at a clinic in the northern state of Haryana.
The baby boy, named Armaan, was born about a month ago using the couple's own egg and sperm after two previous unsuccessful attempts. Despite being small at birth, weighing 4.4 lbs, Armaan is "healthy and hearty," according to the National Fertility and Test Tube center.
The entire situation has become somewhat controversial thanks to the circumstances behind it. Part of the controversy is due to where the family is from- India, where some view infertility as a curse from God. This prompted the couple of 46 years to face ridicule and almost give up hope.
The second part of the controversy is due to Kaur's age. Kaur put her age at around 70 - a common scenario in India, where many people don't have birth certificates - whereas the clinic said in a statement that she was 72. In either case, however, experts believed that she was too old for the pregnancy, not just due to health concerns, but also due to concerns about raising the child as he grows.
"There are ethical issues. In my opinion it is unfair to do such a procedure on a woman who is over 60," fertility expert Sunil Jindal said.
"The sheer fact that a woman in her 70s has to carry the weight of a child in her womb for nine months is stressful," JIndal added. "Then the question comes how are the parents going to look after the baby? That is also quite a task."
Gynaecologist Anshu Jindal, based in Meerut, was of a similar mind, saying that she tried to discourage women over the age of 60 from undergoing fertility treatment.
"According to me it is not an age to have a baby. It will take a toll," Jindal said.
Despite the naysayers, the couple say that they are simply happy to have a child of their own.
"God heard our prayers. My life feels complete now. I am looking after the baby all by myself, I feel so full of energy. My husband is also very caring and helps me as much as he can," Ms Kaur revealed.
"I used to feel empty. There was so much loneliness."
This case is not the first of its ilk in India. Back in 2008, a 72-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh state reportedly gave birth to twins, also through IVF.
