Scientists offer women the opportunity to have babies in later life

Women could be able to extend their years of fertility until far in the future following pioneering new research in the US.

Scientists at St Luke's Hospital in Missouri believe parts of a woman's ovary could be removed, stored and implanted again later on.

This, they argue, would offer women the opportunity to have a baby much later in life.

Dr Sherman Silber, one of the scientists behind the tests, commented: "You could have grafts removed as a young woman and then have the first replaced as you approach menopausal age".

"You could then put a slice back every decade."

Dr Silber noted that the chances of women in the developed world living to the age of 100 are about one in two.

This, he said, means about half of their lives could be spent in the post-menopausal state.

The findings could be particularly valuable to those who experience premature menopause. Nick Panay of the British Menopause Society recently told the UK's Daily Mail newspaper this is far more common than many people realise.