How old was Rosanna Della Corte when she gave birth to a baby boy?

Rosanna Dalla Corte has said that she has no regrets about having her baby, Riccardo, at 62 years old. When Rosanna Della Corte gave birth late in life, it sparked calls in Italy for banning in-vitro fertilization in women over age 51.

Rosanna gave birth to Riccardo when she was 62, the oldest person on record at that time to have a baby. "We don't talk about age in this house," Rosanna says. She has repeatedly stated that her son, Riccardo, sees her as his mother, that's all.

Previous excesses in Italy's liberal approach to fertility treatment were epitomised by Della Corte. Now, new Italian laws make treatment options among the most restrictive in Europe. Only couples of child-bearing age can have in-vitro treatment using their own eggs and sperm. Freezing embryos for future use is forbidden.

Riccardo's birth in 1994 prompted outrage, and led to the tightening of the law. But critics say it is now too far the other way and many childless Italian women are denied the help they need. Shouldn't cases be decided on a case by case basis?

More Info: articles.latimes.com

Test your knowledge

What are your thoughts on this subject?

23 Comments

momwantstotalktoo

I believe that if a woman is healthy enough to have a baby she most likely will live to raise it. It is her business and her body.

MRogers

Might be that you're showing your bias Darlene Davidson. In my view just about anything that concerns a single individual should be on a case by case basis.

drosied

To each their own. If a married couple wishes to an no health restraints leave them alone! I'm 67 an there's no way I'd ever consider it though

Elsy O. Stromberg

Not fair to the child who is going to lose his mother at a young age and probably will not have any grandparents to relate to.

Rae Ann Randall

Was this someone else's egg?? They put the risk of that babie's health for developing birth defects for the sake of having a chance to be a mother!! The risks I'm sure doubles at her age!!! That baby appears to be healthy( thank God!!!)but many, many babies of mother's conceiving in their 40's and 50's aren't.!!! 😓Why be selfish and risk the health and life of a baby!!!😠

Julie Domaille

Not sure what I feel. Hurts my soul I was not blessed but to be drawing my pension at the same time as child allowance is freaky. It's not easy balancing a baby on a zimmer frame either.But many a grandparent does child care so maybe it's more natural than we think

George Oliver Prince

I've seen stories of older births, but not sure about the veracity

emabroad

The woman's name is Rosanna DELLA Corte.

marilynroman

God bless her!

Maia

Everyone is different, so this is an individual issue. Some 89-90+ year old people are healthier and more caring than young people with health issues (drug addicts, etc).

Maia

Elsy O. Stromberg, as long as ALL parents have a backup plan (good hearted and willing people to take care of said child), there is no reason to NOT parent at any age. Look at all the unwanted children born to "regular" parents, and parents who die before their time. As long as the child is wanted and cared for, that is a wonderful thing!

I think that the baby should be asked first to see if s/he wants to be born.

Irene Townsend

Emm Yo, Wow, Who said old people are not meant to have babies? Who will raise the child when the young parents die?? Having children around you can keeps you young.

Karin Johansson

momwantstotalktoo, it is ger child's business too. Think about the child.

Coral Harvey

I'm not sure this is true. There was a sixty three year old lady living in a nearby village in Wales who had a forth baby . She had three older children all in their thirties who were patents themselves. She wanted to become a mother again as she had married a man twenty years her junior who had never been a father. She tricked a clinic in London to believing she was 50 not 62 and became a mother. She managed very well but her new marriage broke up

Sue Grayson

Leslie Tenney, I don't agree with it for women past child-bearing age, but that's a ridiculous analogy. Of course there's no age limit on the man. His input can be over in seconds, or minutes at most. They don't have to go through the sometimes painful and restrictive process of IVF, and then carry the weight of the growing child for nine months, or worse, go into hospital for perhaps the whole pregnancy to avoid miscarriage. Typical male response.

Jas Newman

Rae Ann Randall, You worry about the health of the child due to the mother's "selfish" act of bearing it, but the child would never have existed without her taking the chance. To me, your position seems more selfish.

Louise C.

I recently turned 60 and I can not imagine having a baby at my age. I had my youngest child at the age of 32 and I had so many people tell me that I was doing the wrong thing then. My mother had my youngest sister at the age of 39 and people often thought that she was our Grandmother as it seemed that having children in your 30's was classed as the wrong age to become a mother.

Emm Yo

The doctor that allowed should lose his medical license. Old people are not meant to have babies. Who will raise the child when she dies??

Jeannie Ellis

Leslie Tenney, I believe that the restrictions are limited to in vitro fertilization using a couple’s own egg and sperm. That being said, a male has exactly the same restrictions as a female. There are no restrictions on naturally occurring pregnancies.

Emma Chan

Rae Ann Randall, that’s the problem, what does one deem child bearing age? Some women can conceive and carry a perfectly healthy baby in their 40s but many places think you’re pushing it once past 30. Also, storing, there are many reasons why one might consider storing including medical procedures to treat or cure conditions which may put one’s fertility at risk so having a blanket ban on it is blinkered