Its that OO thing again; this time From Russia With Love: ...from the BBC: "They travelled to the former Soviet Union to get fertility treatment from Italian doctor Severino Antinori."
Britain’s Daily Mail's WORLD EXCLUSIVE: She controversially gave birth to the baby, known as JJ, after having IVF treatment abroad using a donated egg so she could fulfil her 60-year-old husband John's dream of becoming a father. Today, the couple tells their story exclusively to the Daily Mail. With her 'perfect' baby boy sleeping peacefully in her arms, Patricia Farrant told of her joy yesterday after becoming Britain's oldest mother at the age of 62. The Daily Mail's pictures are heart-warming.
However, heartwarming or not, one comment that stood out for me was this... "Mr Farrant, a hugely proud first time father, said: "When I first held him I was simply awestruck. I thought 'Here he is after all this waiting and we'll be together forever because I'm his daddy'. "I feel a huge sense of responsibility and tremendous love for him."...Forever?...OK, but just how long is forever. Despite the fact that both parents look fit and well for their age, this baby will be a huge strain on that health.
Severino Antinori has a history with performing fertility treatment on older women but he also has a more worrying aim: he has said before that he wanted to be the first doctor to produce a cloned human baby. [Here's a good description of cloning with easy to follow diagrams from the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP).]
Other comments from earlier this year when the Italian Doctor defended his fertility treatment of Patricia Farrant. "Critics said it was selfish to have a baby at their age, but they said they were confident of meeting his needs." However Severino believes that " When the couple love each other they naturally want to have a baby. Age isn't important in this decision - what's important is the physical condition of the mother." That is a fair point but that physical condition may deteriorate rapidly with the rearing of a new baby. There is no age limit for fertility treatment set down in UK law, and whether a particular person is treated is left to the clinical judgment of doctors; my opinion is that the fact that they went to Russia speaks volumes.
I refer back to an owsblog post last month (Optimising older ova) where I asked "All this seems overly concerned with women who can’t conceive, or women who want babies later in life when perhaps their body clock is starting to suggest they shouldn’t, is this right do you think?"
...Women who can't conceive is one thing; having a baby at 60+ is another...any thoughts you'd like to share?
As regards the title of the post: most double 'o' words were created from the prefix oo- (Greek oon, egg) + gonium (New Latin for cell) = the egg cell. Oogonium (la meiosis link) is a female ancestral germ cell that divides several times in the ovary to give rise to an oocyte that further splits into an ootid (and polar bodies), which in turn, differentiates into an ovum...ooooooooo
S.O.
14 comments:
Well,
I have stated on the Radio 5 messageboards that I dislike whether you are for/against the story, how it is introduced. I heard one news reader say "A 62 year old pensioner become the oldest woman etc..."
That's not right and already colours the story. Is she a pensioner? She is a professional woman, who as far as I know may still be working and even on the finacial side of things probably the child has little to worry about, emotionally who knows how the child will be affected by the age of his parents and if one of them passes away but that can happen to any family.
I also think you can show respect even if you disagree on something.
Or use humour to get a point across.
I know it is probably done to get a reaction from the listener but I heard Paul Ross on LBC start off a rant on the story and he called her an "Old Bag" totally un-necessary.
I thought the menopause was nature's way of saying 'that's all folks!'. I'm not against women under say 45 having treatment if they cannot conceive naturally but this woman has been turned into a media freak show. I don't want to sound like some woolly liberal but she's a child psychologist so presumably she has thought of the impact of this on JJ (how crass is that name by the way?).
Span - as an aside are you updating your blog from BA in your underwear? If you are then good for you, you flash bugger if you are :-)
I do hope this couple have had a long talk with the grown up children about whether they will take on the care of the baby if anything happens to them.
I'd have thought, given this woman's profession, she'd have had more sense.
Gildy, but she is a pensioner, no doubt has a bus pass and all that - I know what you mean though; they are trying to play it negatively....but I do to; I tend to agree with curmy and Paul that this lady, of all people should know better but she "did it for him"...that to me is wrong: I do not doubt they will love and cherish this child WHILE THEY CAN, she is actually a very good-looking and healthy looking woman BUT...BUT...in only 2 or 3 years that could all change very considerably - the stress of the caring could actually kill one of the parents - it just seems so wrong.
I am indeed but am fully dressed to adjourn to the bar for the footy (3pm kick-off here)
Gildy, sorry, I meant she is pensioner age!
You are probably right Span and I cannot argue with the points the actual story raises. I think as the goal posts of what age is considered as being a pensioner and whether you use the age you retire voluntarily or because the government policy changes and that people live longer muddies the water.
I actually think that I have more of a problem with Paul Ross and his deliberate attempt to play a cheap shot by calling her an "Old Bag!" but as you may see if you are on the station boards I took a listen again to that opening clip and he also put in front of that "Wrinkly"
It was suggested that was an ok term as say Grumpy Old Men has become but the difference is that if you say it to a friend or someone that you know, you can gauge whether you dare say it and whether it will accepted as a joke or an affectionate term.
That perhaps goes too far and is what I would expect had say Nolan been doing the topic on his radio show on Five.
I still think it is amazing(simple things for simple minds :-)
That you can pop in and see what's happening here and keep in contact.
Only 4 hours behind the UK(3 if you are going by GMT)What do I know, I was thinking of Brazil and would've guessed you were further behind us.
Hope the atmosphere was good. You are certainly storing up some memories and experiences. And seeing it from another culture's perspective.
Cheers...
I don't know Nolan at all but there's no need to be that disrespectful, especially on air - sounds like this Ross fellow was just trying to sound cool - typical wanker if you ask me.
I'm not sure that medical intervention in ability to reproduce is a good idea for the species across the board...
I am open to both sides of the argument and have strong feelings both ways.
The question I have is why does nature end womens childbearing so completely with the menopause - but allows men to continue producing sperm .
Is there any logic to it?
Actually Lucy sperm counts and viability drop as men age. I think a large part is due to modern medical intervention that keeps them going and allows them to keep it up (ahem). Old gits en t' olde days didn't father children (mainly because the average age was a lot lower too I guess!)
Perhaps we are defying nature too much just by living longer!
I heard someone say the other day that doctor's are starting to believe that without any need for gene therapy or an alering of the way the body ages, bu simply by medical science alone they don't see why humans shouldn't start living to to between 150 - 175 years old. Sounds horrendous to me. I think I'd rather pop off in me 80s.
On the older mother question I think I'm in the menopause is nature's way camp. I understand that we intervene in many processes of nature now and many I agree with, I'm quite happy to hypocriical on this one hough and make an exception.
Six, with my kids in their late 20's, the thought of having another baby would fill me with dread.
We've got new neighbours. She's got a 2 year old and a 1 month old.
The screamimg is horrendous.(Poor woman)
I'd love grandchildren, and would love having them to stay, but 24/7, 365 days a year ? No thanks .Its nice to do what we want now, after 25 years of getting them to adulthood !
Agreed Six
Agreed curmy!
(sorry, bit tired!)
Lucy, its the children, the mother is incredibly patient.
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