A 67-year-old Spanish woman became the world’s oldest new mother when she gave birth to twins in Barcelona in December. The babies are said to be in good health. The hospital refused to disclose the name of the mother or the sex of the babies to protect their privacy. The previous record was held by a Romanian woman who gave birth in January last year at the age of 66.

Never one to shun controversy or inconsistency, the controversial Italian IVF specialist Severino Antinori complained that 67 was just too old to become a mother. “What’s happened in Spain is reprehensible,” he told an Italian newspaper. “Having a baby isn’t like drinking a glass of water, there are criteria, and one of these is an age limit.” However, Antinori could be jealous — in May he helped a 64-year-old woman become Britain’s oldest mother.

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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