A REPRODUCTION specialist has branded IVF treatment of women older than 53 as ­“irresponsible” after a 63-year-old gave birth in Melbourne.

The Tasmanian is officially Australia’s oldest new mum after having her first child, a ­daughter, at Frances Perry House private hospital in Parkville on August 1, according to reports.

Monash University professor Gab Kovacs said “responsible” IVF clinics refused treatments of women over the age of 53, which is the “end of natural pregnancy”.

“I think getting people of that age pregnant is irresponsible,” he said of the Tasmanian woman.

“That child will need looking after for 20 years, and there’s a possibility she won’t be able to do that.

“Our bodies weren’t ­designed to have children in our 60s. I don’t think any ­responsible IVF unit in Australia would treat someone of that age, and it’s not a standard of medicine I would condone”.

The woman gave birth at 34 weeks through a caesarean ­operation, and was supported throughout by her 78-year-old partner.

Seven News reported that after several years of failed IVF procedures, the woman was able to use the procedure to successfully conceive her first child with the help of a donor embryo, which was implanted overseas.

The mum will remain at Frances Perry House with her bub until she and her daughter are both strong enough to head home to ­Tasmania.

She is Australia’s oldest new mum, with the previous record being held by a woman who gave birth to her first child at 60, back in 2010.

Romanian woman Adriana Iliescu, an author and former university lecturer, set a record for being the oldest new mum in the world when she gave birth in 2005 aged 66.

therese.allaoui@news.com.au