56 year-old mother raises ethical questions

Hospital petrie dish used in fertility treatment

The tabloids were quick to latch on to the story of the 56-year old fertility-aided mum who has given birth to twins.

The Mirror ran with a 'World Exclusive' of Lynn Bezant, the oldest mother of twins in the country.

It reported that the couple used an egg donated by another woman and sperm extracted surgically from her husband, who had had a vasectomy some years ago.

The media would not carry a story of a 42 year-old having twins who's had cancer and had chemotherapy. It's not of interest to you

Prof Ian Craft, London Fertility Centre

One issue raised by the process is the potential for stories like this to put off women thinking of donating eggs for fertility treatment.

But Professor Ian Craft, director of the London Fertility Centre, says the media is needlessly sensationalist.

Before the contraceptive pill and the 1967 Abortion Act, he says:

"women were having children in their forties and early fifties, and they still do occur naturally."

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