A 53-year-old woman has given birth to her own granddaughter after doctors advised the baby’s mother that it was too risky for her to undergo pregnancy because of health problems.

Teacher Rosicleia de Abreu Carlsem gave birth to her own granddaughter, Maria Clara, in the city of Florianopolis in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina on the morning of Thursday, 19th August.

She offered to become surrogate mother to her daughter’s baby after the 29-year-old woman was advised by doctors not to undergo pregnancy.

Ingrid Carlsem suffered a pulmonary embolism and a deep vein thrombosis in 2014, and doctors said she would be putting her life at risk by undergoing pregnancy.

The baby was conceived by in vitro fertilisation, with Rosicleia acting as the surrogate.

Rosicleia said: “I believe the closest word for it is gratitude. She will be spoilt in the same way, with the only difference being that she came out of the same belly as her mother once did.”

Maria Clara was born at 37 weeks, measuring 49 centimetres (19 in) and weighing 3.31 kilogrammes (7.30 lbs), in a private maternity hospital.

The birth was witnessed by Ingrid and her partner, Fabiano Chaves. The family raised the estimated BRL 35,000 (GBP 4,886) to carry out the IVF and surrogacy by crowdfunding and selling face masks and dish cloths.

Ingrid said: “My mother’s gesture was one of greatness, of a noble woman. I think that even if I try to mention or describe it in words, I’ll never be able to specify how valuable she is to me.”