Chan Lai Lai, the 58-year-old wife of Hong Kong actor Brian Wong Chak Fung, also 58, has become one of the oldest mums in the city after giving birth to their second child, a girl, through in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

The newborn was delivered via cesarean section on August 22, weighing 3.34 kg.

The couple announced the happy news on social media last week, sharing several photos of the newborn and assuring fans that both mother and child are healthy.

Lai Lai's pregnancy in May attracted public attention, sparking hopes for older women wanting to have children.

She also made headlines in 2019 when she gave birth to their older daughter, Wong Hei Yan, at 52. 

The couple decided to have a second child as Hei Yan wanted a sibling to keep her company.

But the journey was far from smooth. Lai Lai had previously suffered two miscarriages, which left her physically and emotionally drained. She also faced online criticism for pursuing motherhood at her age.

Brian shared Lai Lai received regular consultations from the Prince of Wales Hospital and CUHK Medical Center, where she set a record as the oldest mother at the facility.

To support the pregnancy, Lai Lai endured daily injections for six months to reduce the risk of miscarriage. The treatment left her abdomen marked with more than 100 needle punctures.

“My real worry was that the baby wouldn’t grow. After experiencing a pregnancy where the baby had no heartbeat, I was constantly anxious,” she said.

When she was pregnant with her first child in 2019, Lai Lai also endured serious complications, including eczema and pre-eclampsia, which led to a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) for monitoring.

Her case underscores the risks faced by older mothers in Hong Kong. According to the South China Morning Post, about one in five expectant mothers in the city is considered of advanced maternal age — 35 or above — with one in 20 over the age of 40, among the highest rates in the world.

The risk of miscarriage rises to 40 per cent for women over 45, while women over 40 face triple the risk of stillbirth compared to those under 35.

Photos: Brian Wong Chak Fung/Instagram