A 59-year-old woman in China has given birth to a baby boy and in the process realised her dream of having another child because her daughter lives abroad, making her and her husband feel lonely.

On January 9, the infant was born via caesarean section at Zhangjiagang No 1 People’s Hospital in eastern Jiangsu province, weighing 2.2kg.

His mother, surnamed Zou, has set a record as the oldest pregnant woman in the city, according to a report by the local news outlet jsnews.org.cn.

“Seeing the baby and hearing his cries, I am so excited. I did not expect that my dream would come true,” Zou was quoted as saying.

The woman, who already has an adult daughter, said she came up with the idea of having another child two years ago.