印度一位96歲的老翁近日喜迎第二個(gè)兒子的降生,成為世界上最老的新生兒父親,孩子的母親現(xiàn)年52歲。兩年前,他們的第一個(gè)兒子出生時(shí),他就打破了當(dāng)時(shí)同樣由一位印度人保持的世界紀(jì)錄,那位印度老者在90歲時(shí)迎來自己第21個(gè)孩子。這位名叫拉格哈夫的老者表示,他沒有服用任何增強(qiáng)性功能的藥物,只是向上帝祈禱,希望能有一個(gè)完滿的家庭,生兒子或女兒都行。他表示,自己長(zhǎng)壽的秘訣是長(zhǎng)期食用黃油、牛奶和杏仁,同時(shí)避免接觸藥物和酒精。他還坦承,十年前遇到現(xiàn)任妻子之前,他大部分時(shí)間都是單身狀態(tài)。在第二個(gè)兒子出生后,老者表示已經(jīng)讓妻子做絕育手術(shù),稱不想要太多的孩子,他們養(yǎng)不起。印度平均壽命只有64.7歲,在全球人均壽命排名中相當(dāng)靠后,但很多有關(guān)年齡的奇聞都發(fā)生在印度。
Ramajit Raghav,96, and his 52-year-old wife, Shakuntala Devi, reportedly gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Ranjeet, on Oct. 5, according to the Times of India. |
Most people can only dream of living for 100 years, let alone fathering a child nearly a century after being born themselves. But that is apparently a reality today, as a 96-year-old Indian man claims to have fathered a child, his second in recent years.
Ramajit Raghav and his 52-year-old wife, Shakuntala Devi, reportedly gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Ranjeet, on Oct. 5, according to the Times of India.
Just two years ago, Raghav set the world record when he and Devi gave birth to their first son, Vikramajeet.
"I didn't take any performance enhancers. … I just prayed to God to complete my family, either a boy or a girl," Raghav told the paper.
India is often the source of unusual stories about a person's age. However, the life expectancy of the average Indian actually falls into the lower-third of UN global statistics (139 out of 194 counties), at 64.7 years. The average Indian man lives 63.2 years. By comparison, Japan has the longest worldwide life expectancy, with its residents living an average of 82.7 years. The US comes in at No. 38, with Americans living an average of 79.2 years.
While male fertility rates are not as directly correlated to age as are women's, male fertility rates do decline with age, according to a study published in the 2004 issue of Human Reproduction Update.
Raghav tells The Sun that he credits his diet of butter, milk and almonds for his longevity, along with abstaining from drugs and alcohol. He also claims to have remained "mostly" celibate until meeting Devi 10 years ago.
"I feel lucky to have two healthy sons. It will be tough, but I'm a happy man," he said.
Interestingly, the previous record holder for world's oldest dad was also Indian: Nanu Ram Jog, who reportedly fathered his 21st at the age of 90.
For his part, Raghav doesn't plan to set anymore paternal records.
"I have asked my wife to be sterilized now," he said. "I don't want more children, we can't afford it." (Read by Nelly Min, an editor at China Daily website)
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