Couples in their 50s are now opting for fertility treatment

For six months, Laxmi Road residents Harsh and Meetu Maghnani (name changed to protect privacy) imposed a blanket ban on all their social activities.

In their early 50s, the couple that runs a jewellery store did everything possible to ensure their secret wasn't out, until the time was right. Meetu was pregnant, after opting for fertility treatment. "We were determined to have a baby and didn't want any social pressure. I knew a lot of people would have fun because of our age," said Harsh.

He added, "So I asked my wife to keep quite until after six month of pregnancy when it started showing."
The Maghnanis are among a rising number of elderly couples opting to have babies using fertility treatments. At Dr Sunita Tandulwadkar's infertility center in Ruby Hall Clinic, at least 10 per cent clients are aged above 45 years.

"A few years ago there would be a hardly a couple of stray cases. Even then, most were foreigners. Now Indians are also coming, and surprisingly, many from smaller towns. Though, the vital question is up to what age should IVF treatment be offered considering their age," she added.

Most doctors didn't see anything wrong in offering IVF treatments to elderly couples as long as they are fit --both physically and financially.

"I ask clients to undergo tests for cardiovascular illness, diabetes, cancer, blood pressure etc. If their health and their financial status is well enough to support children, I offer IVF," said Dr Gautam Allahabadia, who runs the Deccan Fertility Centre and Rotunda clinic in Mumbai. However some doctors said that they had an upper limit for couples.

"I have taken up IVF for couples up to 52 years of age, in rare cases I even went up to 55 years. However beyond that when I got a few requests, I didn't take them up. This is because there is a health risk to the woman; and the child's future may be affected. By the time he is 20, his parents may be 70," said Dr Bharati Dhorepatil, an infertility expert who runs Pune Infertility Centre in Shivaji Nagar.