Indian Omkari Panwar has become the world’s oldest mother in the world after giving birth to twins by Caesarean section at a hospital in Muzaffarnagar, which is seven hours drive from New Delhi. The twins, a boy and a girl, were born a month early and weighed just 2lb each, but doctors have said that they are healthy.

Mrs Panwar and her husband, Charan Singh Panwar, 77, decided to undergo IVF treatment in order to conceive. Despite having two grown-up daughters and five grandchildren, the couple were eager to have the treatment in an attempt to have a son, who would be their heir and able to work their land.

As a retired farmer, Mr Panwar had little money, but he was so keen to produce a male heir that he sold his buffalos, mortgaged his land, took out a credit card loan and used all his savings to raise funds for the costly treatment. Luckily, his gamble paid off and Mrs Panwar became pregnant.

Frail Mrs Panwar said that the pregnancy was hard, but she believed the pain was worth it. She explains: “For eight months the pregnancy was hectic and painful. But I have given birth before, so I knew what to expect. Sometimes, you have to face the pain if you want something good.”

Following the birth of the twins, Mr Panwar was keen to express his joy - particularly because the couple now had a son. He said: “At last we have a son and heir. We prayed to God, went to saints and visited religious places to pray for an heir. The treatment cost me a fortune but the birth of a son makes it all worthwhile. I can die a happy man and a proud father.”

Although Omkari Panwar has no birth certificate, she uses the date of India's independence in 1947 to tell her age. As she was just nine years’ old when the British left India, she is now 70. Prior to the birth of the twins, the world’s oldest mother was Romanian Adriana Iliescu, who had a daughter in 2005 when she was aged 66 thanks to IVF treatment.

Mrs Panwar seemed unfazed when she was told that she had become the world’s oldest mother and quickly shrugged off the title. She said: “If I am the world's oldest mother it means nothing to me. I just want to see my new babies and care for them while I am still able. My husband and I have an heir. That is all we ever wanted.”

Gynaecologist Nisha Malik, who delivered the twins, expressed her surprise at the babies’ birth. She said: “I was shocked when this old lady told me she was pregnant. I have been in medicine for 20 years and I have never heard of such a case.”