Charity voices concern as 57-year-old becomes mother

Prolife charity LIFE, has reacted with alarm at the news that a woman has given birth to a child at the age of 57, as a result of IVF intervention. LIFE legal and information development officer Patrick Cusworth said: "This case demonstrates just how out-of-control the IVF industry has become, and sadly highlights the ever-growing shift in thinking, that 'reproductive rights' are far more important than the needs and rights of the child. Cases such as this turn parents into consumers and children into products. Children should not be created to serve the needs of their parents. The primary consideration should always be for the child in the first instance. "Joshua is indeed a beautiful baby boy, but whether Mrs. Lennon can give him the long-term care and support that he deserves is questionable. When Joshua reaches the age of eighteen, Mrs. Lennon will be seventy-five. Professor Ian Craft, whose London Fertility Clinic carried out the treatment, claims to be a "sentimental and caring pioneer", but where is his concern for baby Joshua, both now and in later life? "Mrs Lennon offered her thanks specifically to the egg donor (or donors); i.e. the woman who donated her eggs to Professor Craft's fertility clinic, the only clinic that offers IVF treatment to women in the fifties. However, it would be wrong to assume that women have the urge to hand over their eggs in this way, as a previous report into Professor Craft's practice would show. In this, his clinic's practice of offering treatment in return for eggs is shown to be dangerous and harrowing for the woman concerned. This is not only grossly irresponsible, but also highlights the exploitation issues at the heart of the debate. LIFE calls upon the HFEA to investigate further such cases, and to make an example where evidence exists of guidelines being flouted. "However, in contrast to this expensive and often futile form of reproductive 'medicine', the LIFE Fertility Programme, which now operates nation-wide, provides a cheaper, natural alternative to IVF, with a better rate of success. It attempts to cure the original cause of the infertility itself providing better long-term health for the woman, as well as a better chance of subsequent pregnancies. The LIFE Fertility Programme has even helped women who had previously tried IVF achieve their dream of having a child naturally."