Spain's oldest new mum, 69, loses custody of IVF twins

A 69-year-old woman has been ruled incapable of looking after her four-year-old twins after giving birth to them having had IVF.

Mauricia Ibanez gave birth to twins Gabriel and Maria de la Cruz at a hospital in the northern Spanish city of Burgos on Valentine's Day in 2017.

At the age of 64-years-old and having travelled to the US to have IVF, Mauricia was thought to be the oldest living new mum in Spain.

The twins, now aged four, were taken into foster care shortly after they were born in 2017 however.

This week the Spanish Supreme Court upheld an April 22, 2020 ruling to remove the children from her care, Nius reported.

The decision, handed down by the Provincial Court of Burgos, found that the twins were not being cared for in "optimal conditions".

What health conditions Mauricia may have have not been made public, but the twins were found to be "in an obvious situation of vulnerability" because of her inability to care for them.

The court said the decision was based on expert opinion not relating to her age or mental health.

Last year Mauricia told BURGOSconecta: "They are taking everything from me any day they take the children from me."

The twins have lived with two foster families since their birth, with their mum able to visit them on occasion.

In 2017 El Pais reported that Mauricia had signed an agreement with the social services that she would hire someone to help her provide 24-hour care to the children.

Ten days after coming home from hospital, where she had spent a month following the Caesarean section birth, authorities judged the twins were "at risk".

"Since she went home, a multi-disciplinary team has been following Ibanez's progress, and their reports all conclude that the twins need looking after in a different environment," a spokesman from social services in Burgos said at the time.

Mauricia has another child, Blanca, who was also born through IVF.

She was placed in foster care in 2014 and now lives in Canada.

"I have practically no contact with my daughter," she told El Correo de Burgos.

Mauricia has been very critical of the authorities, which she calls the "anti-social services", claiming they "cannot bear" that she has had children at an "impossible age".

El Pais reported that Ibanez, a former civil servant, had started her family after being given early retirement over mental health issues.

Shortly following the twin's birth she told the publication: "Of course I am worried that they could take my children away.

"They are so defenceless, so small and delicate."

The world’s oldest documented mother is Daljinder Kaur from India, who gave birth in 2015 at the age of 70 after two years of IVF treatment.

Baby Armaan was born weighing 1.99kg (4.4lbs).

Carmen Bousada, Spain’s oldest mum ever at 67, died of cancer aged 69 in July 2009 three years after giving brith to IVF twins Cristian and Pau.