Abuja – Dr Moses Fache, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at NISA Premier Hospital Jabi, Abuja, on Tuesday advised couples seeking children to adopt IVF method.
He said the chance of conception through In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) was proportionate to the natural means.
Fache told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that IVF was an alternative means of conception for couples experiencing challenges with their fertility.
He said IVF had been proven with results, adding that there was increased number of couples who alternated to it.
“Pregnancy rates through IVF are higher than for natural conception; where about two out of every 10 normal women would conceive in a month by natural means, IVF increases this rate to about five out of 10.
“This has led to the increasing popularity of IVF among people suffering from infertility as it greatly improves their chances for conception.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
“The chances of a live birth after an IVF pregnancy are largely similar to that for natural pregnancy,” Fache said.
The expert described IVF as a treatment modality for couples with infertility where a woman’s eggs were collected from her after some drugs must have been given to mature a number of them.
He noted that the sperm was also collected from the woman’s partner and further fertilised in an appropriate medium that can sustain them.
The fertilised embryo was hence transferred in the womb of the woman where it begins to grow as a normal baby.
The expert said that the technology was initially designed to overcome infertility caused by blocked tubes, where the egg and the sperm are not able to meet.
In addition, he said several developments in the technology had allowed it to also be used to solve male factor infertility and infertility from severe damages to the lining of the womb of a woman.
Fache emphasised that for the process of IVF to be effective, genuine medications should given to the woman and the eggs in her womb should be in good condition.
“For good quality eggs to be collected, the woman goes through a process called ovarian stimulation, and the success of the process depends on the quality of reserve of eggs in the ovaries,” said the expert.
He pointed out that the process might be a little challenging for the women but not harmful.
“The effects of the drugs given to the woman wears off soon after the stimulation process were over and they hardly leave any lasting effect on the woman,’’ Fache added.
The gynaecologist explained that sperm collection from the male partner is usually by masturbation and occasionally by coitus with special condoms.
He, however, noted that when there were significantly abnormal sperm parameters, sperm can be collected directly from the male genital tract in a painless manner.
Fache advised that the process of IVF was the one meant to be managed with absolute carefulness, adding that same process of fertilisation was obtainable in the natural means of conception.
“Fertilisation of the embryo is done in an IVF laboratory where very sophisticated equipment is used to ensure good fertilisation and preservation of the embryos that have been obtained.
“Nothing is added to or taken away from the cells that were collected from the partners and the fertilisation process is almost exactly as it would have happened within the body.
“The growing embryo is transferred back into the womb at the stage when it is expected to be in the womb.
“The embryo naturally spends a few days in the tube before it reaches the womb for implantation, while the natural process is replicated by keeping the embryo for a few days before it is transferred back into the womb.
“At this stage, there is implantation and the embryo starts growing as it would have if it had arrived naturally from the fallopian tube,” said the gynaecologist.
Fache stressed that following the process some medications were given to the woman to replicate the natural hormonal environment that would have been created if the conception had occurred naturally.
He said that after two weeks, a pregnancy test was done to confirm that the baby was growing well and after about six weeks, a scan is done to visualise the pregnancy within the womb.
The expert added that from then, the growing foetus was treated like any other growing baby until it is delivered. (NAN)
