Successful pregnancy in a 63-year-old woman.
OBJECTIVE
To report the occurrence of an unusual case of successful pregnancy achieved by oocyte donation in a woman > 60 years of age.


METHODS
Case report.


METHODS
University-based assisted reproductive technology program.


METHODS
Sixty-three-year old nulligravida, married for 16 years to her 60-year-old husband. Throughout her infertility treatment, the patient was believed to be 10 years younger, as she claimed. She revealed her true age of 63 only upon being referred for obstetric care at 13 weeks of gestational age.


METHODS
Oocyte donation, IVF, embryo cryopreservation, and ET.


METHODS
Attainment of pregnancy and subsequent delivery.


RESULTS
The patient underwent two cycles of oocyte donation. During the second attempt, the fresh transfer resulted in a clinical miscarriage at approximately 8 weeks of gestational age. A subsequent transfer of three frozen-thawed embryos resulted in an ongoing singleton gestation. The pregnancy was complicated by gestational diabetes (controlled by diet) and mild pregnancy-induced hypertension. Delivery by cesarean section at 38 weeks of gestational age resulted in the birth of a healthy female infant weighing 2,844 g with Apgar scores of 9 and 9.


CONCLUSIONS
This case demonstrates that the uterus is capable of supporting nidation and subsequent gestation for many years beyond natural menopause. It shows that other aspects of human physiology are capable of adapting to the stresses and changes of pregnancy sufficiently well to achieve a normal birth at the age of 63 years. This case also exemplifies the difficulty in attempting to regulate the age of recipients in oocyte donation. As in other aspects of human life, when age limits are applied to the provision of certain services, human beings whose age falls outside of these limits become motivated to deceive the providers of those services to avail themselves of the services.
Paulson
R J
RJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, USA.
Thornton
M H
MH
Francis
M M
MM
Salvador
H S
HS
D001942:Breast Feeding; D002585:Cesarean Section; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000178:diet therapy; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D008423:Maternal Age; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D018587:Oocyte Donation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk