IVF causes rise in older mothers

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A global fertility treatment boom will trigger a huge rise in the number of older mothers to at least 2,000 over the next five years, one of the UK's leading fertility experts predicts.

Sammy Lee, an embryologist at University College London, believes women's "desperation and desire" to become mothers, coupled with medical advances, will see soaring numbers of women aged 50-plus having babies. He estimates that there are currently at least 15 "older mums" in the UK (although only three are known publicly), and around 50 globally.

Dr Lee is organising a conference at UCL to debate the issues surrounding older mothers next week.