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Hope rises for infertile couples
MALACHY UZENDU,
Abuja
HOPE
of over-aged women and those with hormonal problems to get pregnant has
brightened as a medical process to make them procreate again has been introduced
at the Mordica Fertility Centre, NISA, Premier Hospital, Abuja.
The scientific feat, known as In-Vitro
Maturation (IVM), according to Dr. Sunday Shaibu, Medical Director of the
centre, "is of tremendous benefit to women who have failed to respond to
conventional In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection
(ICSI).
Dr. Shaibu, who briefed newsmen on the
scientific discovery yesterday, lamented that several broken homes exist due to
inability of the couple to give birth to children.
He explained that unlike the IVF which
proved to be 30/35 per cent effective on artificial conception, the IVM has
greater potency.
He stated that "the main advantages of IVM
is that, the overall cost of assisted conception is reduced by minimizing or
completely avoiding the use of expensive medications.
"IVM also avoids the risk of avarian
response (leading to hypertimulation syndrome), whilst maintaining success rates
comparable to standard IVF and ICSI."
According to the medical director, whereas
it would cost an average of N350,000 to successfully carry out IVF, the cost of
procurement of IVM is much cheaper but depend largely on the known medical
history of the patient and psychology which vary from person to person.
He stated that apart from baby Hannatu,
who was artificially delivered in hospital eight years ago, over 250 babies have
been delivered through several artificial methods adopted by the hospital.
He further claimed that "Mordica Fertility
Centre, Abuja is the first to be accredited by Medical International (the global
patient owners for artificial insemination) for IVM procedures after Nordiva IVF
Gynaecologist and Embryologist successfully underwent the special training in
Denmark.
"The procedure we use here have since
1998, been authenticated by the federal government through the federal ministry
of science and technology," he added.
He said that in order to assist indigent
couples, last Tuesday of every month has been earmarked for free medical
counselling, while those people in that category need to be registered with the
Baby Hannatu Foundation for free conception and delivery through its artificial
methods.
He also said that any couple living with HIV/AIDS positive
and who are infertile would be assisted, without their baby getting infected
with the virus.
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