GUNTUR: A 74-year-old woman has become the oldest-ever to give birth after she delivered twins at a hospital in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur town on Thursday, doctors have said.
Mangayamma, who conceived through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) process, delivered twin babies at Ahalya Nursing Home here.
A team comprising four doctors performed the caesarean operation.
S. Umashankar, who headed the team of doctors, said both the mother and the babies were doing well.
"This is a medical miracle," Umashankar told reporters after the surgery. He claimed that Mangayamma has become the oldest woman in the world to give birth.
Earlier, 70-year-old Daljinder Kaur was considered to be the oldest woman in the world to give birth to a baby. Kaur of Haryana delivered a baby boy in 2016 following an IVF process.
Hailing from Nelapartipadu in East Godavari district, Mangayamma was childless after 54 years of marriage. She along with her husband Y. Raja Rao had approached the IVF experts at the nursing home late last year, who decided to help the couple.
"I am very happy. God has answered our prayers," Mangayamma told reporters after the delivery.
Her husband Raja Rao and other family members celebrated the moment by distributing sweets.
Umashankar said they went ahead with the process after a team of doctors conducted various tests and found that she is fit to become pregnant.
Mangayamma conceived in the very first cycle of the IVF procedure. Subsequently, three teams were formed to monitor her general health, nutrition and cardiac health, he said.
"Ten doctors worked for nine months to keep a close watch on her health. The regular scans revealed that there are no complications," said the doctor.
Last month, the couple wanted to perform 'Seemantham', a traditional ceremony performed in the eighth month of pregnancy. However, the doctors advised them to wait for a month. The nursing home organised the ceremony in the premises a few hours before the delivery. Hospital staff, relatives and well-wishers greeted the couple.
Doctors said both the mother and the babies would be under observation for a few days.