Detoxification: New trend in fertility treatment

One of the major reasons why people marry is
to have children, but according to a World Health Organisation statistics, one
in four married women in most developing countries are childless because of
primary or secondary infertility; while research also shows that male factors
account for between 20 and 30 per cent of infertility. As technology advances,
however, fertility experts say detoxification programme can make couples
fertile. SOLAADE AYO-ADERELE reports
For 17 years, Mr. And Mrs. Olayiwola waited for a
child but none came. Mid last year, they were introduced to a fertility expert
who took them through a simple process of detoxification programme that included
weight reduction and general system cleansing.
In less than 12 months of accessing treatment
which was followed by in-vitro fertilisation, they achieved the hitherto
elusive pregnancy and had a set of quadruplets early February.
Detoxification is the physiological or medicinal
removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including, but not limited
to, the human body.
A professor of reproductive endocrinology,
Oladapo Ashiru, has decried the rising rate of infertility among couples, based
on the number of people seeking medical assistance to conceive.
Ashiru, who heads the Medical Assisted
Reproductive Technology Centre, a fertility clinic based in Maryland, Lagos,
said one in every six couples has difficulty in conceiving, underscoring the
need to seek medical advice.
Studies have shown that male factors account for
between 20 and 30 per cent of infertility; 40-50 per cent with the woman, while
between 30 and 40 per cent are due to problems in both man and woman.
Experts say conception and pregnancy are
complicated processes that comprise the production of healthy sperm by the man,
healthy eggs from the woman, unblocked fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to
reach the egg, and the ability of the fertilised egg to implant in the uterus
and grow in a good environmental and hormonal condition.
“If one of the processes is impaired, infertility
can be the result,” Ashiru says.
He explains that infertility is sometimes as a
result of toxins in the body, which might have been accumulated over a long period
of time.
“It is known that some undigested food products
can remain in the intestine for up to 200 hours — instead of the normal 18
hours — and produce toxins that are stored in the body for months or years.
This causes certain types of infertility,” Ashiru explains.
He notes that in the female, the causes of such
infertility include obesity (associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome and
endocrine disorders), increased maternal age, hormonal imbalance, stress,
infections, toxins from the environment and improper nutrition.
Male factors are said to be due to deficiencies
in semen and semen quality, erectile dysfunction and genetic factors which are
as a result of environmental toxins, as well as toxins produced from diet,
which leads to hormonal imbalance and infertility.
“The accumulation of these toxins from the
environment will begin to manifest by the time a man reaches age 40-55 years.
At this time, men experience an ageing phenomenon similar to the female
menopause called andropause. This is as a result of gradual decline in the
level of testosterone,” the professor explains.
According to him, this decline has effects on
bodily functions, such as mood swings, depression, erectile dysfunction,
fatigue, hair loss, hot flushes, irritable men syndrome, urinary problems and
weight gain.
“These conditions may occur faster as a result of
exposure to environmental toxins, psychological stress, obesity, and
infection,” he says.
Andropausal symptoms and effects can be reduced
by regular general detoxification treatment, body cleansing and in some cases,
bio-identical hormone therapy, experts say.
According to the American Fertility Association,
recent studies suggest that toxins in the environment are not only damaging the
reproductive capacities of men and women, exposure to ubiquitous dioxins such
as cigarette smoke, lead and mercury, and some agricultural pesticides are
known to be direct threats to a couple’s ability to conceive or achieve a
healthy pregnancy.
The association avers that troubling new research
suggests that a broader range of chemicals — including many that are associated
with everyday products such as household cleansers, personal care and beauty
aids, and even plastic water bottles — could have a much more complex and
far-reaching impact on men and women’s fertility.
“With the advent of the chemical and synthetic
toxins such as pesticides and herbicides, plastics and cleaners,
pharmaceuticals, and vaccinations, food additives, and food contaminants, fuel
emissions, insecticides, and fungicides, comes a constant onslaught of chemical
toxins that our bodies are just not equipped to deal with.
“In relation to fertility, this has huge
implications, as the synthetic chemicals modify the hormones that control the
reproductive system, and can alter the sex hormone levels. This is a very
intricate, finely balanced system that involves a multitude of different
hormonal transactions to occur simultaneously. As soon as anything interferes,
as we are finding out, the whole system can be affected,” AFA says.
AFA argues that one of the effects of toxic
overload is that females become more masculine and males become more feminised.
“The toxins enter the sperm and eggs, and effectively poison them, so that if
there is fertilisation, there is an increased risk of miscarriage,” it says.
Indeed, in late February 2005, at the Vallombrosa
Retreat Centre in California, the Fertility/Early Pregnancy Compromise Work
Group of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, and the Stanford
University School of Medicine’s Women’s Health hosted a seminar titled,
Understanding environmental contaminants and human fertility compromise:
science and strategy.
Here, the experts argue that every day, we are
continually exposed to toxins from our environment, preservatives in food,
drugs, cosmetics, stress, poor eating habits and lifestyle which result in
premature ageing, allergies, food intolerance, cancer, hormonal imbalance,
obesity and infertility.
Ashiru notes that over time, these toxins
accumulate in the major organs and tissues; and if not eliminated or
neutralised, will lead to auto-intoxification and organ damage. “This is why
total body cleansing — that is detoxification — is important; it helps to
remove all these toxins,” he says.
A number of fertility centres are now
incorporating detoxification cleansing programme as a diagnostic and
therapeutic measure in the management of infertility as a new trend in assisted
reproduction. There are a few of these clinics all over the world — one in the
United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Austria.
Currently, Nigeria hosts one of such clinics, the
MART-Life Detox Clinic, which is a subsidiary of the MART Clinic, headed by
Ashiru.
“The detox centre is in collaboration with
Viva-Mayr Health Resort in Austria, which was established in line with the
modern Mayr Medicine Therapy — a medical therapy programme that has been in
existence for over 100 years,” Ashiru says.
He explains that the treatment is a combination
of different holistic health concepts whose objective is to rejuvenate the body
functioning system and dynamics to its maximum efficiency, with the overall aim
of achieving a healthy life style, younger look and increased life span.
“The detoxification programme also has the advantage
of weight loss, improved medical conditions and enhanced fertility,” Ashiru
intones.
An accomplished clinician and author, Dr. Jesse
Hanley, says one of the definitions of aging is based on how quickly the body
repairs itself; implying that detoxification can significantly increase the
chances of fertility in women by improving the circulation of blood to the
ovaries, uterus, hypothalamus and the pituitary.
Ashiru says detoxification optimises liver
function to remove and prevent excess accumulation of unwanted hormones, among
others.
Scientific studies suggest that detoxification
programmes normalise the hormone and endocrine system that regulate ovulation,
especially if polycystic ovarian syndrome (an abnormality of unknown origin
whereby the ovary produces cysts instead of follicles that produce eggs) is an
issue.
Again, Ashiru says, “It positively affects the
hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis that plays a key role in fertility,
regulates menstrual cycle, increases blood flow to the uterus to improve the
chances of embryo implantation and also reduces anxiety and stress that may
significantly decrease fertility.”
Hanley suggests that it helps to remove heavy
metal deposits from the uterus, fallopian tubes and other reproductive organs.
Ashiru says fertility cleansing is not just for
women, but also for men, as sperm quality can be affected by toxicity as well.
“Recent studies are now pointing at hormonal
imbalance and environmental factors leading to low sperm count (oligospermia),
absence of sperm cells (azospermia) and erectile dysfunction,” Ashiru warns;
saying that male infertility can be improved by total body detoxification
through weight reduction, body cleansing, and healthy eating habits.
Enumerating the success stories from
detoxification program, Ashiru says these include the reduction in the dosages
of blood pressure and diabetic medications, in addition to enhanced fertility
among relevant patients.

Nigeria: Having Bundles of Joy Through IVF - How Affordable?

Most couples yearn for children whorepresent their union and signify their future. However for a significant
number of couples, researchers have found out that for about 1 in every 4
couples, this desire cannot be fulfilled without some assistance. However, In-Vitro fertility (IVF) has been a solution to many couples facing infertility
problems in Nigeria, but can the average Nigerian really afford it?
By Amarachi Ebeogu

Some couples have had varying challenges with the process, others have a different story to tell about IVF, an emerging panacea to infertility, especially in Nigeria. IVF has been a solution to the stigmatisation of infertility in marriages especially here in Nigeria.

In-vitro fertililisation is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the body. IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technolgy have failed.
Although IVF is gaining popularity in Nigeria, many people are not totally aware of the process, the running costs, the
clinics or centres where IVF treatment is performed, the success rates and also its implications and challenges.
Due to the stigmatization in this part of the world, couples who try IVF keep it confidential, and as a result of that, people do not know much about it or how it works.
IVF may be used to overcome female infertility due to problems of the fallopian tube, making fertilisation in vivo difficult. It may also assist in male infertility, where there is defect in sperm quality and in such cases intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be used, where a sperm cell is injected directly into the egg cell.
This is used when sperm has difficulty penetrating the egg, and in these cases the partner's or donor's sperm count is
very low. ICSI results in success rates equal to those of IVF.
In the course of this research, people who have IVF where found and here are some of the things they had to share:
Farouq, an engineer who lives in Maitama claims that he and his two siblings have done IVF. Sharing his experience, he
said he had his set of twins three years ago through IVF but that he was
extremely reluctant before the process because he was scared and he knew little or nothing about it.
" I fought with my wife for a very long time because she kept talking to me about us trying IVF and I wasn't interested" Farouq said " though I spent almost N3,000,000, but am a happier man today because my little angels give me so much joy and also make me a proud father" he added. "My sister and her husband who did IVF got quadruplets, although one died before birth the three are very strong and healthy" he concluded.
"When I had my first IVF treatment in a clinic in Lagos, I was admitted for 3 days after the egg recovery because of the pains, hyperstimulation and so on and there were still no results.
I was surprised that I did the same egg recovery in another fertility clinic in Lagos, I was able to drive home within an hour and also had positive results afterwards," Mrs Ajayi explained.
She added that the professionalism, the results and the love shown is all that matters, and not the cost.
IVF, if not done by experts can be very challenging, but in any case there are more recorded success rates today. For IVf to be successful, it typically requires healthy ova, sperm that can fertilize and a uterus that can maintain pregnancy.
A civil servant who pleaded for anonymity for personal reasons, said she had some challenges in the past with IVF. She explained how scary it was when after the transfer of the egg she bled after 3days and eventually lost the pregnancy. She said she is taking her time to look for a good clinic.
Not many Nigerians can afford to do IVF because of the cost. Most doctors say it is very expensive in Nigeria because of the power situation.
Faced with the challenge of payment for the procedure, a couple who reside in Nyanyan, Abuja, who have been married for 11 years without any success in getting pregnant say they hope to visit the fertility clinic but they cannot afford it right now because they do not have enough funds for it.
"Traveling out does not guarantee the success rate, it is your knowledge and how up to date you are and your ability to play God less that determines your success as a fertility surgeon. I trained in Canada and it is the same procedure you will go through so be guided, "advises Dr M. Haastrup .

Source: allafrica.com

ANOTHER FEAT IN IVF RECORDED BY NAUTH GYNAECOLOGIST

Another feat on Invitro Fertilization (IVF), has been recorded by the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi, Gynecologist, Professor Joseph Ifeanyichukwu Ikechebelu, the Medical Director of Life Specialist Hospital, Nnewi with the delivery of a baby boy – Favour, through Invitro Fertilization (IVF).

This brought to five women who have delivered through the process in the hospital within the last 6 months.Confirming that the mother and child were in stable condition, Ikechebelu, said the baby boy delivered Saturday by 8.02 weighed 2.7 kg.

Ikechebelu who is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi and his team of doctors, nurses and embryologists performed the cesarean operation to deliver the baby and concluded other processes within 45 minutes.

“This is the fifth time this processes is being carried out in this hospital. Our first baby-baby Joseph through IVF was delivered on 6th August, 2011, second was triplets delivered on 17th November, 2011; third baby boy was delivered on Nov 28, 2011.The 4th were triplets again delivered on December 26th, 2011 and this one now.

‘‘We have over ten women already pregnant and carrying their babies and we are monitoring them pending their time of delivery’’.

Life Specialist is the only fertility hospital in Anambra State specialized in putting smiles on the faces of our women who could not ordinarily conceive and deliver their babies normally’’.Every couple still have a chance of having their own babies.

Here we specialize in turning tears into joy.”Her mother (the babe’s grand mother) , name withheld by this medium said she and members of her family were overwhelmed by joy at the sight of the baby.“We are happy for this opportunity because for sometime now, she was unable to conceive and deliver her own baby but we are happy and to God be the glory.

Dr Osuorah Chidebele Donatus , a Pediatrician with Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Awka described the processes of IVF as an artificial way of conception through some complex medical procedure outside the woman’s womb before implanting it back into the woman’s body through surgical process.

AFRH states minimum requirements for IVF clinics

The executive of the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health has spelt out the minimum requirements for setting up an In-Vitro Fertilisation clinic in Nigeria.
The fertility practitioners in Nigeria, under the registered body of AFRH at its inaugural national meeting in Lagos penultimate Friday, emphasised the importance of “informed consent” and ethical responsibility of the practitioner to the patient and other practitioners and all users of the practice.
According to a press release signed by the Secretary-General, Mrs. Bobo Kayode, members agreed on the need for counselors as part of the IVF team to address socio-psychological issues.
Also at the meeting, the guidelines of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine was reviewed and adopted, albeit with certain modifications to suit the Nigerian environment.
More important, the AFRH reviewed the guidelines on the number of embryos that should be transferred per patient, taking cognizance of how it relates to patient’s age and presence of any history of uterine factors.
“As a result of these, we would like to establish a working relationship with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Nigeria,” the communiqué stated.

3,000 babies born yearly in Nigeria by IVF – Giwa-Osagie

About 3,000 babies are born yearly in Nigeria by In Vitro Fertilization, IVF, because of infertility of couples caused by infections.
Professor Osata Giwa-Osagie disclosed this during a distinguished professor lecture at University of Lagos, Wednesday.
In a lecture entitled, “The Development and Future of Advanced Fertility Management: A West African Perspective,” Giwa-Osagie said for man to survive, he must reproduce and evolve, referring to a Biblical injunction which instructs man to “go and multiply.”
According to him, statistical models and observation of human couples led to the expectation that 80 per cent of couples engaging in regular sexual intercourse without contraception will achieve a pregnancy within 12 months.
“The 20 per cent of couples who have not achieved a pregnancy are defined as being infertile. These infertile couples are those who require proper investigation and fertility management. Estimates of infertility in populations vary from five per cent to as much as 30 per cent, and have geographical variation, with prevalence rates of 7-10 per cent accepted for most populations of couples.”
Giwa-Osagie said a childless marriage in Africa faces major challenges regarding stability and continuation. That infertility leads to marital breakdown, mental illness, domestic violence, polygamy, adultery, suicide among other consequences.
“Consequently, infertility and its management assume important places in the African context.
Yet Africa has poor economic, health, education and development indices.”
He submitted that proper and appropriate management of infertility requires the application of modern social and technological procedures in the investigation, treatment and follow up of infertile couples. The procedures involve basic history and physical examination with targeted questioning as well as investigation of both male and female partners.
On causes, he said the predominant cause of infertility in West Africa is tubal damage in the women, caused by infections at or after birth in unhygienic environments, complicated abortions, and sexually transmitted infections. These account for over 75% of tubal disease in West Africa.
The woman may also suffer from anovulation and irregular menses, or uterine a bnormalities such as fibroids which occur in up to 40% of infertile Nigerian women.
“In the male, causes of infertility have been found in up to 40% of infertile couples; 55% of the cases emanates from female while in 5-10% there is no cause found.
The major cause is sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, chlamydia and other chronic bacterial infections.”
He stated that in both male and female, a small percentage – less than 5% of causes of infertility are due to congenital abnormalities such as genetic anomalies.
“Of all methods of infertility treatment, induction of ovulation has resulted in the greatest success rates – up to 60-70% of stimulated cycles with 40-50% birth rates.”
Giwa-Osagie explained that overall disappointing results led to:
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) initially for tubal blockage indications ordered to include low sperm count and unexplained infertility. Overall pregnancy rates is 2040% per embryo transfer.
*Egg Donation – revolution in motherhood. Allows women with no ovaries or non-functioning ovaries or menopausal to have children. They conceive and carry the pregnancy.
*This extends the frontiers in female child bearing beyond 60 years of age in some women. Egg donors are below age 30 years usually, while recipients can be of any age.
*Uterine fibroids – common in black women, 40% of infertile Nigerian women have fibroids.

SOURCE: newnigerianpolitics

DOCTORS’ FORUM SEEKS REGULATION FOR IVF TREATMENT

Medical doctors who brainstormed at the recent Doctors Forum organised by Pathcare Laboratory Nigeria have called for strict regulation and monitoring of Invitro Fertilisation (IVF) activities in the country following the rise in the profile of the practice even as they stressed the need for prenatal diagnosis.
The medical doctors regretted that although IVF is currently carried out in 17 IVF centres, Nigeria is yet to establish any regulatory measures concerning the practice resulting into a situation where there is no consistency among fertility experts.
In his paper entitled: "Ethical Considerations in IVF", Managing Director of Bridge Clinic, Dr. Richard Ajayi, affirmed that the practice needs to be regulated to safeguard the practice from imminent disaster.
Ajayi who was of the view that society norms and cultural values should guard any regulatory measure on the practice maintained that there should be regulation to protect the expansion of the procedure.
"Science is rapidly advancing and these issues will come up. Unfortunately, in Nigeria there is no legislative frame work to regulate the procedure. However, as doctors working in the society, whatever we do should be acceptable to the society. Therefore, we should look at societal position in determining what we do in IVF.”
On the debate on whom should be given opportunity to IVF treatment, the doctors who were divided on a number of ethical and social norms raised at the forum unanimously agreed on the importance of IVF but said that the services should not be offered to single women.
On the debate on whom should be given opportunity to IVF treatment, the doctors who were divided on a number of ethical and social norms raised at the forum unanimously agreed on the importance of IVF but said that the services should not be offered to single women.
In her submission, Chairman Pathcare Nigeria, Prof. Ibironke Akinsete, was of the view that divorced women and widows should be considered.
In his paper on Prenatal Diagnosis", Dr Olajuwon Alibi, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, noted that the importance of prenatal diagnosis in society, "is all about finding information that affects the baby while in the womb without causing any harm to the mother.”
Alabi said prenatal diagnosis facilitates timely medical or surgical treatment o a condition before or after birth.
Listing conditions where prenatal diagnosis is required, he said in cases such as Down syndrome, sickle cell anaemia, high cost has remained a major problem in the society.
Although, he agreed about the high cost of the diagnosis he stressed the need to get to the objective of the diagnosis. Alabi who also reasoned that the prenatal diagnosis is not done in cases such as sickle cell anaemia for the woman to terminate the pregnancy said it is mostly for the couple to make inform decision as well as plan ahead for the outcome of the tests.
He said such diagnosis is to improve quality of life of the unborn child and not to destroy it. He called for regulation of abortion in that regard. "A lot of these tests are done for rest of mind not to create more problems.”
Source: allafrica.com

Infertility: Nordica offers free IVF

Research has shown that one out of every four couples or 25 percent of couples have fertility problems and would require one sort of intervention or the other, which is part of the reasons why we have appreciable demand of Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) solutions such as the popular In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF).

Recently, the excitement was quite high at the Banquet Hall of the Grand Hotel, Asaba Delta State on the occasion of this year’s draws of the Fertility Treatment Support Foundation (FTSF) initiative implemented in partnership with Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos/Asaba. According to the Medical Director of Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, the idea of organising a public draw, in which 16 Nigerian couples across the federation would, over a two-year period, have opportunity to access series of free IVF cycles under the FTSF initiative formerly known as E.A.R.T (Expanded Access for Reproduction Techniques) and was established as a result of the prevalence of infertility in our society today.

“Affordability of treatment is one of the most common causes for concern of the fertility-challenged couples as a regular IVF cycle in any standard fertility treatment facility costs an average of N650, 000 to N1, 000,000 depending on the clinic and profile of the case. As a result, many couples desirous of conceiving their own babies have been denied the opportunity to have access to the initiative, due to their inability to afford the cost. Hence, to keep the dream of fertility-challenged couples alive, FTSF was born.”

The FTSF has, for years, been committed to the goal of giving 16 lucky Nigerians completely free IVF treatment cycle over a space of two years. The initiative was put together as a platform for enabling all fertilitychallenged Nigerian couples, to have access to the best and most advanced assisted fertility treatment services in the world, at no cost. The two lucky couples, who ultimately emerged from the raffle draw, will benefit from a full IVF or combination fertility treatment novel initiatives. This translates into two Nigerians every quarter.

SOURCE: NATIONALMIRRORONLINE

Bridge Clinic launches LASUTH IVF Facility in Lagos

NIGERIA’S foremost IVF and assisted conception clinic, The Bridge Clinic, has launched an IVF facility known as the Institute of Fertility Medicine in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) with the Commissioner of Health, Jide Idris, and other dignitaries, in attendance.

The facility, which is a CSR initiative by The Bridge Clinic, is in collaboration with the Lagos State Government and is one that will offer IVF services at subsidised rates to couples who have had difficulty in conception.
Speaking at the launch of the Institute of Fertility Medicine in the LASUTH Complex, the Managing Director of The Bridge Clinic, Dr. Richardson Ajayi, said: “Of utmost importance and concern to us is the well being and happiness of the Nigerian woman and our community at large in the provision of quality fertility services as the same global standard we are known for.

“This is why at The Bridge Clinic we have found it necessary to collaborate with the State Government to set up this clinic as part of our CSR initiative, to reach out to more needing families to help them experience the joy of childbirth, and also try to give back to the community that has given us so much.”

Ajayi said since the IVF procedure involved the employment of expensive resources, such as highly trained staff, expensive equipment and consumables, the cost especially in a developing economy like Nigeria could be high.
This, he said, “makes it unaffordable for the average woman.”

Also commenting on the launch, Idris said: “Lagos State is thrilled to be collaborating with The Bridge Clinic on the launch of this facility (Institute of Fertility Medicine) which will bring the IVF and other gynaecological services to the women of Lagos State at a highly subsidised rate.

“We have no doubt in our minds that The Bridge Clinic, being the first solely focused assisted conception clinic in Nigeria, will deliver top of the range services to every woman that walks through the doors of this new facility we are launching here today. The purpose of partnering with The Bridge Clinic is to ensure the goal of restoring the joy of families is achieved at a subsidized rate.”

Since its establishment in Nigeria, the clinic has achieved a number of firsts, the most notable being the first to achieve a birth by surrogacy and also the first to achieve a birth by Surgical Sperm Collection (SSC).
The clinic has recorded the birth of 1,252 children since opening its operations to the public in 1999.

SOURCE: NATIONAL DAILYNG.COM

IVF MUST BE DEMYSTIFIED TO PROTECT PATIENTS

Following revelations that many Nigerians seeking solution to infertility problems are falling into the hands of quacks, a fertility expert has advocated that In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) Treatment must be demystified in the country.

To this end, Prof. Oladapo Asiru, medical director, Medical Art Centre (MART), who made the call said most people with infertility problem that get pregnant and bear children through IVF should reveal the background of their story to encourage others with similar problems to access the same care.

IVF, which is a major treatment in infertility, is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the body: in vitro. IVF is used when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed. The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing ova (eggs) from the woman’s ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a fluid medium. The fertilised egg is then transferred to the patient’s uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy. The first successful birth of the baby from this procedure, named, Louise Brown, occurred in 1978.

Speaking further on demystifying IVF, Ashiru who is an experienced endocrinologist and joint pioneer of IVF Research in Nigeria said, “The earlier IVF is demystified in this country, the better it is for the people,” and reasoned that the development will make the procedure a popular and acceptable treatment for infertility.

In addition, he said it will open the door for people to access IVF treatment from genuine and reputable fertility health facilities.

He made the call at a Clinical Presentation on High Incidence/Order of Multiple Pregnancies and Multiple Births in the Last Two Rears in the Medical Arts Centre at LOFUM House, Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos State.

According to Ashiru who founded the Medical Arts Centre and runs it with other fertility physicians and embryologists, many people in the country just get pregnant through IVF, but they do not reveal the success story behind the procedure of that conception and successful delivery.

However, he lamented that this problem of secrecy is not limited to infertility alone, adding that even regarding menopause, some women do not want to own up that they have attained menopause. “Whereas, menopause is a normal process of ageing”, said Ashiru..

He lamented that because there is not much awareness about IVF as a treatment option for infertility, people are going to wrong places and are being mistreated. “Some patients receive the worst of quackery,” said Ashiru.

On the successes recorded at the Medical Arts Centre in the area of multiple pregnancies and multiple births between 2009 and 2011, Ashiru said, “We recognise the fact that in 2009 series, we had mainly twin pregnancies while in 2010 series, we had higher number of gestations such as quintuplets. Thus, we reduced the number of embryos transferred in IVF treatment this year 2011.”

Explaining the reason why women seeking IVF treatment at the Medical Arts Centre are not only recording successful pregnancies, but also multiple babies in twins, triplets and even quadruplets, Ashiru said the multiple pregnancies at the centre are due to the effectiveness of the stimulation protocol, the efficiency of the laboratory, especially with Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), the high quality of embryos as well as the use of ultrasound guided embryo transfer. “We equally recognise the role of our pre-IVF evaluations such as Hysterosonography, ovarian improvement regime, and the use of immune support are contributing factors to the successes.

Besides, he noted that the quality of the embryos and success rate is due to additional services in the Medical Arts Centre such as the use of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and blastocyst transfer. PGD is a technique used to identify genetic defects in embryos, created through IVF before pregnancy).

Similarly, the centre has an efficient management team on ground. “Currently, at our centre, the overall pregnancy rate is about 45 per cent in all ages per embryo transfer,” said Ashiru.

Highlighting other reasons why people choose IVF treatment in other countries, he said the procedure is now being done for other reasons. “Some people are now doing IVF because of convenience,” he said.

For instance, a woman who is married to a pilot that is constantly traveling and is away from home may not be able to utilise the ovulation period and the woman can be missing intercourse during ovulation day for a whole year. “So, he just brings his sperm, stores it in the laboratory and when his wife is ovulating, the sperm will be used for her. So, IVF is now done as a programmed thing as well as for elderly patients to eliminate abnormality in their kids,” said Ashiru.

SOURCE: NIGERIANCOMPASS.COM

IVF still an all-comers affair in Nigeria

The absence of a regulatory framework for fertility treatment in Nigeria has continually put a growing number of couples in need of In vitro Fertilization and other Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) on the vulnerable edge.

Added to this, is the growing incidence of public distrust for the health system in Nigeria, has encouraged quackery in the highly specialized field of medical technology.

This has become a major issue of concern to experts, especially at a time debates are raging over what passes for ethical or not in Assisted Reproduction among various groups of people.

This played up at a recent jaw-jaw session held in Lagos between medical experts, representatives of religious groups, media and others organized by the Bridge Clinic, one of the first few fertility treatment centres in Nigeria.

There, it was reiterated that a growing number of Nigerians, especially females are faced with the sad society-induced consequences of not being able to conceive and have babies naturally.

Managing Director, Bridge Clinic, Dr. Richardson Ajayi, noted many Nigerian couples are truly finding it difficult o have babies naturally, but added that the advent of IVF and similar techniques have brought succor to many people in the country as well.

He, however, said, “The absence of regulatory framework has made it difficult to ensure standards are kept, as some people, because they have the money to buy equipment would just go into fertility treatment.”

At the Society of Gynecologists of Nigeria (SOGON) conference held earlier in Abuja, Ajayi emphasized that all stakeholders must look at the state of regulation around the world and focus on ethical issues that might have to be considered in Nigeria before making proposals for deliberation.

At the Lagos session, he noted that “the United Kingdom and other countries already have resounding frameworks for the regulation of fertility treatment,” adding that Nigeria must begin to think in that light.

Meanwhile, in a collective resolution, experts, religious, leaders and others present at the Lagos meeting agree that IVF, is an ethical practice, although questions were raised by the religious groups

“The catholic does not support any act that would amount to termination of life and in IVF and similar procedures we do know that the unwanted embryos, which by all definition is already a life are destroyed to avoid multiple implantations are destroyed. This the catholic does not accept,” Catholic priest, Sylvester Nwutu, noted.

According to him, the catholic supports natural means of procreation because it fosters the God-given union between the couples involved.

Similarly, a Muslim cleric, Suleyman Fulani, noted that some of the procedures are accepted as medical exigencies by Islam so long it is not performed by the opposite sex in cases that require the patient baring intimate parts of the body.

It was difficult convincing attendees at that event that surrogacy, was indeed ethical as some of them believe, there are other means of achieving this.

The catholic cleric, just like an Anglican Priest at the event, thinks adoption is a good option for those desiring of babies, considering the huge tendency of parental crisis that could emanate.

Consultant Obstertrician and Gynaecologist (O&G), Professor Friday Okonofua, however, pointed out that surrogacy does not run foul of ethics.

“In surrogacy, the sperm and egg that achieved fertilization are actually from the couple and not the person carrying the baby. There is no genetic input from the surrogate mother at all,” Okonofua said.

It was, however, unanimously accepted at that meeting that IVF and ART for single women and same sex couples should not be encouraged, hence rated as unethical.

Consultant O&G at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Niyi Oduwole, said, “Agreed, westernization is catching up with us, but we should also be cautious to imbibe, as much as possible, the good things and not the bad ones. IVF for same sex, singles should not even be in our thinking otherwise it would be a lost fight to ever convince anyone that the process is ethical at all.”

In Anglican priest’s words, “we are raising a society of responsible people. Any woman who wants to have babies should just go and get married otherwise, should adopt a child.”

Mr. Emmanuel Ugoji of Ipas Nigeria, however, added another tilt to the arguments, when he said, “In all of this, choice should determines what action a couple takes. What if you are neither a Christian nor Muslim, and not guided by the respective laws and doctrine. What do you do when you are confronted with issues on childbearing in a country like Nigeria. The couple still must make a choice on what is good for them, although the eventual decision must be guided by adequate knowledge.”

IVF and Intra-Cystoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) are two commonly used procedures to achieve conception in couples with ICISI being specifically used to treat male factor infertility.

According to experts, one in every four couples in Nigeria may have difficulty achieving conception through natural means, highlighting the increasing problem of infertility. Most of these cases are caused by infections over time, of the female reproductive tract, tubal blockage or rupture as well as low sperm count and poor sperm quality, among others.

Although, infertility among many couples is perceived as mostly from the female, studies have shown that a growing number of males factor infertility, which is associated with various factors.

A case-control study of risk factors for male infertility in Nigeria by Friday Okonofua and four others Infertility is associated with various proxies of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and poor healthcare-seeking behavior for STIs in Nigerian men.

The study, which also featured in the Asian Journal of Andrology, found, in a multivariate analysis that male infertility was significantly associated with bacteria in semen cultures, self-reporting of previous use of traditional medications and moderate to heavy alcohol intake, but not with smoking and occupational types.

They also found that infertile men were significantly more likely than fertile men to experience penile discharge, painful micturition and genital ulcers. They are also less likely to seek treatment for these symptoms and more likely to seek treatment with informal sector providers.

SOURCE:INDEPENDENTONLINE.COM