South India’s first test tube baby now a mother

Chennai: Kamala Rathinam, who was born through the test tube procedure 24 years ago at a Chennai hospital, has now become a mother herself. And her baby was ushered into the world by the same doctor who gave joy to her parents.

At 4.24 p.m. on Thursday, the girl's first cry made everyone at GG Hospital emotional and nostalgic. Because the baby's mother was born at the same hospital through assisted reproductive technology on August 1, 1990, making Kamala Rathinam the first test tube baby in south India. What made the moment even more special is that both mother and daughter were brought into the world by the same doctor: Kamala Selvaraj. In fact, Kamala Rathinam was named after the doctor. Kamala Selvaraj, a well-known obstetrician and gynaecologist, is the daughter of Gemini Ganesan, yesteryear's Tamil superstar.

"It's a top of the world feeling. I thank the almighty for having given me this chance. And I miss my parents and the couple were my father's fans and I miss Kamala Rathinam's mother," said Kamala Selvaraj. Kamala Selvaraj said the birth of the test tube baby was still fresh in her memory.
"Somebody was taking a video. I cherished so much on how the first baby came out. They stayed with us for one month. I held the baby and cried as if she was my baby," she said.

25 years ago, Kamala Rathinam's father V. Ramamurthy, an ardent fan of Gemini Ganesan, had come to Kamala Selvaraj for consultation. He and his wife had given up hope of having a child. The young doctor had then just returned from Australia after learning the test tube tech, helped Ramamurthy and his wife. "I knew my daughter will have a baby. But I was worried she might also have a delayed motherhood like my wife. But I am so happy that she has given birth to a baby.”