Pregnancy beyond 65: report of a unique case and discussion of a controversial issue

Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2016 Dec;21(6):496-498. doi: 10.1080/13625187.2016.1234599. Epub 2016 Sep 26.

Abstract

We present the case report of a 66-year-old woman who was attended at our gynaecology department at a tertiary university hospital in Barcelona, Spain for a high-risk pregnancy and comment on the obstetric implications and bioethical issues. We retrospectively analysed clinical data about the case and bibliographic references related to the issue. The woman underwent in vitro fertilisation of donated embryos in a private centre and came to our unit at 27 weeks of gestation for pregnancy care. At 33 weeks, she presented pre-eclampsia and a caesarean section was performed. She gave birth to healthy twin boys. Four months later, she returned to our centre with the diagnosis of ovarian cancer and died 30 months after delivery. We present the clinical course and management of this pregnancy and comment on the obstetric implications, the impact on maternal and neonatal health, and bioethical issues related to assisted reproduction techniques in pregnancies beyond the natural reproductive age.

Keywords: Fertility; assisted reproduction; bioethical connotations; older women; pregnancy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / complications*
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Adenocarcinoma / therapy
  • Aged
  • Cesarean Section
  • Female
  • Fertilization in Vitro / ethics
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Maternal Age*
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Oocyte Donation / ethics
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / complications*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / therapy
  • Postmenopause
  • Pre-Eclampsia
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / diagnosis
  • Pregnancy Complications / physiopathology
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • Pregnancy Trimesters
  • Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / adverse effects*
  • Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / ethics*
  • Spain
  • Tertiary Care Centers
  • Twins