A 70-year-old woman in Uganda welcomed twins after undergoing IVF, and now she's home with her babies. Safina Namukwaya had a boy and a girl on November 29, 2023. They were delivered via cesarean section at Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Center in Kampala, Uganda.
The babies were discharged from the hospital on January 6, 2024, both weighing over 5 pounds. The daughter's name is Shakira Babiyre Nabagala (Babiyre for short) and the son's name is Kato Shafique Kangave (Kato for short).
“She can’t stop staring at them,” said Dr. Edward Tamale Sali, Safina's fertility specialist. He added that she is a “loving” and “playful” mother.
He also shared that Safina will receive a new moniker, known in her rural village as Nalongo, which means mother of twins. Her husband, Walusimbi Badru, will be called Salongo, which means father of twins.
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“She’s fit, her blood pressure is normal, she’s not diabetic — she’s a very healthy woman and the whole of Africa is rejoicing for her,” Dr. Edward shared. He recalled how Safina was up and walking the same day she delivered her babies.
"If you want another child, we're here," he told the mother at a press conference outside of the hospital on January 6, 2024. He joked that she's now “almost playing football.”
According to the twins' pediatrician, Dr. Gloria Lunyolo, the two are considered "miracle babies." She said that they are currently alternating between formula and breast milk.
A couple of days after giving birth, the mother told Today.com through an interpreter that she was feeling great. “Some might argue that 70 years is old, but God decided that I get to have twins at 70," Safina said. "There is no one that can put a limit on God’s authority and power."
She also has a 3-year-old daughter, and says she has a strong support network. “Some households will be helping me with washing and the babies because of my advanced age,” she explained.
In the US, the age limit for IVF is usually mid-50s. According to Dr. Brian Levine, a practice director at New York City’s fertility clinic CCRM, he believes it is “irresponsible” to impregnate a 70-year-old woman. However, Dr. Edward wasn't hesitant in treating Safina. “It’s her human right. It’s her body. She’s physically fit.”
