The Nation Newspaper

Tag: IVF

  • Six couples to get free IVF treatment

    Six couples to get free IVF treatment

    It was a moment of joy. The atmosphere was filled with feelings of accomplishment and fulfilment. Men and women gathered at the headquarters of Nordica Fertility Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, to listen to the announcement of the winners of free IVF fertility treatment.

    The Free Treatment Cycles programme is an initiative of the Fertility Treatment Support Foundation (FTSF). It is part of its Fertility Awareness Advocacy Initiative (FAAI). The initiative is supported by star comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, a.k.a Ali Baba.

    The recipients are expected to receive the free IVF treatment cycle at the centre.

    The Medical Director, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, announced the six couples who won. According to him, “the six fertility-challenged couples went through a stringent process of selection and eventually emerged winners.”

    They are: Mr. and Mrs. Okon Eshiet; Mr. and Mrs Humphrey Oghomienor,Mr.and Mrs. Celestine Udoji, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Anioye; Mr. and Mrs. Ebi Pax-Harry and Mr. and Mrs. Musibau Akande.

    Giving further insights into how this year’s winners emerged, Ajayi said: “The sponsored free treatment option has been on-going for a while by the FTSF and has continued to receive support from individuals. Ali Baba’s involvement was due to his concern at the number of couples who are fertility challenged during one of his visits and encounter with some of the couples at our corporate headquarters here in Lagos.”

    Ajayi said: ”It all started following a visit by Alibaba to this office and for the first time he realised the gravity of the situation faced by infertile couples and the challenge of affordability of treatment. Ali Baba in all seriousness was moved by the fact that many of those who sought help could not afford the cost of treatment cycles.  And so we got talking. He then suggested as part of his Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), he would like to sponsor some couples. That was how an agreement was struck about partnership with FTSF. After thorough screening of potential couples, we arrived at the six who have qualified by all standards and can be treated. Among the criteria for selection is that there are no contra indications for IVF.

    “I believe the criteria for selection of the eventual winners are thorough, the six couples are likely to become parents with God’s permission,” he said.

    According to him, “We are trying to look for the patients that would accept the treatment options and also have the best chances for success. Nordica Fertility Centre is responsible for the screening exercise.’

    On lessons drawn from the effort, Dr Ajayi said: “What we are beginning to see is that a lot of Nigerians are not exposed to good health facilities, so when they first come up, a lot of things are thrown at us that we probably do not see every day and when they come up we then have to make recommendations to those concerned about what to do first. We see cases of diabetes, hypertension, fibroid and obesity.

    “We needed to sort those health concerns out first. So, instead of being confined to 10, we can do 15, but somebody has to pay for the screening which costs about N200,000 per person. We had to make Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos, our technical partner, to be responsible for the screening in order to take more people that we can work with.”

    The Clinic Manager, Mrs Tola Ajayi said, “It is gladdening that six couples emerged  as winners. And very soon, they will have their families completedbecause that is what we do at Nordica Fertility Centre.”

    One of the winners, Mrs Chika Udorji who is in her late 40s, described the gesture as wonderful and humane even as she encouraged infertile couples to be supportive of one another and never to give up trying.

    Other recipients, Mrs and Mrs Oghomienor expressed their gratitude to the sponsors.

    Mr  Oghomienor said couples who are fertility challenged should stay strong and never give up hope of having their own children.

    Mrs Oghomienor who  is in her late 20s said, “I am looking forward to carrying my children. All these while I have enjoyed my husband’s support in the face of humiliation,discouragement and provocations from very close ones. Now, I am on my way to make my husband happy.”

  • ‘Over 100,000 people need IVF’

    The pioneer of Invitro Fertilisation (IVF) at the National Hospital Abuja (NHA), Dr Ibrahim Wada, has said there are over 100,000 women in need of IVF in the country.

    He spoke at the 10th anniversary of IVF at the hospital.

    Wada stressed that infertility was a national and not an individual problem. This, he said, explained why the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) should adopt IVF as one of its coverage area, adding that it is a human right.

    His worfs: “There are more than 100,000 women needing IVF in the country, and this will increase over the next few years.

    “We all must come together to tackle this large demand. It is not going to be the public or private alone. It is going to be a collaboration, and the National Hospital could mentor private hospitals and lead them in meeting the national demand for IVF.

    “That these 100,000 women will be  smiling home at the end of the day,  fulfilled at reproducing as service to the nation. If you are not there, how can you render service to the nation?

    “So, people should not take it as an individual problem, it is a national problem and it needs more Nigerians with brains to take us into the industrial world and get the work done. So, why can’t we come  together to make it right.”

    NHA Chief Medical Director Dr. Jafaru Momoh warned against stigmatisation of IVF patients.

    NHA, Momoh said, in the last 10 years, has aided the birth of 350 children.

    Momoh said: “There should be no stigma; rather, people should be proud that the technology given to human and which is through the knowledge given by God has helped us to have a child.

    “So, they should be able to tell others and encourage them so they can get help and become a mother.”

    Disclosing that IVF has enabled 500 pregnancies in 10 years, Momoh said 350 babies have also been delivered through the process.

    “We have recorded over 500 pregnancies and 350 deliveries in the hospital from the IVF programme,’’ he said, adding that IVF children are wrongly referred to as test-tube babies.

    He explained: “IVF babies are not test-tube babies. People should not mistake it that we grow babies in the test-tube. It is the natural process of giving birth that has been replicated from the laboratory at the very early stage, and the baby is transferred within 48 hours immediately it fertilises into the mother’s womb.’’

    On accessibility to IVF, Momoh said the National Hospital charges are very cheap.

    He said: “The bottom line of access in Nigeria is affordability, that is cost. That is why, we are advising the public to come to the National Hospital for IVF.’’

    He said IVF was highly subsidised by the Federal Government, which, he said, was why the programme has been sustained for the over 10 years.

  • LUTH reopens IVF clinic

    LUTH reopens IVF clinic

    The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, has revived its Assisted Reproductive Clinic. It folded up in the 90s due to lack of funding. Now known as LUTH Assisted Fertility Clinic (AFC), the duo of Professors Osato Giwa-Osagie and Oladapo Ashiru, pioneered the clinic that produced the first test tube baby in Nigeria in March 1986. They both were at  the event, glowing with pride.

    Going down memory lane, Prof Giwa-Osagie said the clinic through its IVF programme treated 20 patients between 1984 and 1994, “but we could not sustain it because of lack of institutional and government support.

    Thereafter, the IVF services in Nigeria were largely made available by the private hospital. LUTH IVF clinic, according to him, “was the first in West, East and Central Africa.  Only Egypt and South Africa were the two African countries that had it before Nigeria in IVF history.”

    Prof Giwa-Osagie said the full commencement of IVF services at LUTH had to wait for the ideal environment to be provided by the management. The perfect environment include sterile atmosphere for the laboratory and theatre; tiling of the laboratory and theatre; design of fee structure; acquisition of modern equipment; dedicated workforce and recruitment of patients.

    The hospital, he said, is setting a goal of producing not less than 200 babies through IVF per annum.  “I am proud that this is coming to be as there is no short cut in life. Good legacies are built through perseverance, consistency and determination. The reopening of this clinic put history in the right perspective.

    “This marks a return of IVF where it started in West Africa. We are set to charge lesser price than what obtains in the private sector. There are now about 45 IVF centres in the country,” he said.

    Prof A shiru was beside himself with joy and said international standard should be maintained in the clinic and it “includes training of embryologists, who will be certified and willing to train other embryologists.  Success of IVF is in the laboratory. “World Health Organisation (WHO) standard should be brought back here, including documentation,” he said.

    LUTH’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Chris Bode, said the clinic will make IVF service affordable, accessible and available, “As this is a foremost institution of excellence and we have the experts here that get things done,” he said.

  • IVF centre produces 1,860 babies in 16 years

    IVF centre produces 1,860 babies in 16 years

    An In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) centre, The Bridge Clinic, yesterday said it has produced 1,860 live births in its 16 years of existence.

    The centre’s Team Lead Clinical Manager, Dr Tayo Abiara, said the centre has progressed from a mere 20 per cent successful rate of IVF in 1999 to 50 per cent currently.

    She spoke at the centre’s 16th anniversary in Ikeja, Lagos.

    The success, she said, was due to the availability of a state-of-the-art facility and expertise.

    She said the clinic’s goal is to provide healthcare of international standard to couples with fertility challenges.

    Besides, she said the centre wants to stop Nigerians from overseas travels to seek IVF treatment.

    Dr Abiara said the centre has a proven record of consistent and verifiable results and quality management system (QMS).

    “With our partners, we are able to provide the latest technology available in Europe here in Nigeria,” she said.

     

  • ‘IVF babies are now accepted by society’

    A senior consultant at Medical Art Centre (MART), Dr Kemi Ailoje Adewusi, has said Nigerians no longer treat In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF)  babies as outcast.

    Dr  Adewusi spoke at a  ceremony organised by the centre to celebrate her and her colleague, Dr Chizara Okeke.

    They were awarded with Masters in Reproductive Medicine from University of South Wales, Australia and  promoted to consultant positions in the centre (MART).

    Dr Adewusi said:  “I think the acceptability and integration of children conceived by IVF is a lot better now from when we first started. The awareness is there now because before, there were a lot of myths associated with the procedure. People thought if you do IVF, there are structural or anatomical issues with you and they don’t see the need for an advanced form of medicine, which makes it difficult for them to access anything that is new. People thought that IVF babies were like robots or dummies and they believed it wasn’t possible to do things that you can do inside of the body, outside of it as well to achieve the same result. But as the year went by, people got pregnant, babies went to schools as intelligent and they look normal; played normally and talked normally and so, the acceptance became better.”

    She added that people can say now ‘this baby is an IVF baby…’ For instance, when we went for a conference, we met the first IVF baby from Australia who happens to be an Embryologist himself and this means that they also have longevity and they don’t have all the things that people think is related to the procedure.

    “The acceptance by the society is a lot better now and the awareness has grown much bigger than what it used to be,” she said.

    Chizara said  it was a huge privilege for them to work in that field of medicine, noting that, “for someone, such as Prof Ashiru to have the trust in you and reveal what happens in the room, which is supposed to be kept there as a guided art was a great privilege anyone can ask for.”

    She noted that it is a field which they have been operating on and as such, will not feel any pressure in their new positions.

    The Chief Medical Director, MART Centre, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru however congratulated the duo on their success and their fast learning of the practice within a short  time, noting that it is their show of excellence that earned them the elevation.

    Ashiru said Chizara joined Medical ART Centre of the MART Group of Health Services seven years ago. She came in as a novice in the field of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), but within a period of two years she had been introduced to this field, she started learning and started demonstrating her skills. And this was  crowned by her registering for a programme in University of New South Wales, Australia and over a  three years, she ended up getting masters in Reproductive Medicine which is the specific training for doctors who are practicing In-Vitro Fertilisation or ART.

    “We did evaluation of her work here where she can do all the whole areas of IVF from Ovarian Stimulation to Embryo Transfer and as such, she becomes an accomplished endocrinologist. And the management considered her to have merited the position of a consultant and have been so elevated.”

  • ‘I have never hidden the fact that I did IVF’

    Nordica Fertility Centre’s first In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) baby has turned 10. The facility joined Master Julian Onwudinjo’s family to mark his birthday in Lagos where his mother, Francesca Onwudinjo, recounted her experience. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA reports.

    Emmanuel and Francesca Onwudinjo had been searching for the fruit of the womb for five agonising years when on September 14, 2004,they joined the growing list of happy parents of perfectly healthy IVF children with the birth of their son, Julian Oluchukwu, meaning “God’s work”.

    At birth, Julian was a miracle to his parents. He clocked 10 last Sunday. In a chat, the boy,  who wants to be an engineer, said his parents had always been open about the way he was conceived and born.

    Julian’s mother, Mrs Francesca Onwudinjo recalled her journey to motherhood. “I got married in July 1999 and had Julian in 2004, that was five years interval. I was taking treatment at Lagoon Hospital, but went to the internet to search for solution. I was 25 and desperately looking for the fruit of the womb. I was in the office and was just going through the internet when I saw the website of Nordica Fertility Centre, I took the address, at that time the clinic was at Victoria Garden City (VGC) in Lekki. I went there and made enquiries. That was how I met Dr. Abayomi Ajayi who I had known at Lagoon Hospital. I tried the first time and to God be the glory, it was successful. There is never any harm trying.

    Mrs Onwudinjo said she has never defended the fact that she gave birth though IVF.

    “We went through the normal tests, there was nothing wrong. I was not intimidated by the cost. I had no fears or reservations at that time. I read a lot and I found out what the process was about. It was a kind of assisted process. I knew that. It wasn’t as if the baby was going to fall from heaven, it is a natural process. Julian was a normal baby, and has grown into a normal child”.

    Mrs Onwudinjo has stood before congregations to talk about her experience. “I had no problems about the issue of stigma. I have never hidden the fact that I did assisted reproduction. There is nothing to hide because he is my blood. It was my egg that was taken as well as my husband’s sperm. So there is nothing to hide. For those that are hiding, it is ignorance. They need to be better educated about the process.

    “The Church I attend does not preach against IVF. I recall a few years ago, a doctor was invited from Abuja to lecture women on the IVF. He did with his team and educated women and asked the church to bring out three women to be given free IVF cycles. They did. Out of them, one was 54 years old; now she has two kids, twins – a boy and a girl. The husband was 69 last year. Another is carrying her baby now.

    “If I were to be in a Church that preaches against IVF, since I have gone through the process, I would try to educate the women and let them know that it is not as if the baby is coming from another planet. It is an assisted procedure just to help you to conceive. I can even go to the Pastor and use myself as example. Why would you suffer in silence when you know there is an alternative? Why are you dying in pains? Children come from God. You just try the best you can,” Francesca recounted.

    “Julian is like a son to us all here, our greatest achievement indeed,” said Medical Director/CEO, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, who remarked that in keeping hopes alive by “Completing families” brought about the vision of setting up Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos in 2003.

    He recalled that the  primary aim is to combat infertility by providing true ‘comfort centres’ where the pain of childless couples could be soothed emotionally and medically.

    On Julian’s birth, Ajayi said it represented a milestone for Nordica  and  a new hope for parenthood.  “Julian’s parents walked into Nordica Fertility Centre on October 11, 2003 and four months down the line after just one treatment cycle, the couple was greeted with the good news of the mother being pregnant with Julian. On September 14, 2004, the couple was blessed with Julian.

    “In view of our successes, first with Julian our first baby and all those that came thereafter, has come the need for further advocacy by the parents in order to share the good news. While we have achieved monumental growth in the number of babies conceived, we have equally not neglected our corporate social responsibility. Working in conjunction with the Fertility Treatment Support Foundation, FTSF, free fertility treatments have been made available to over 58 couples with diverse infertility challenges. We also work with the ESGN, Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria, the only Foundation supporting this cause in West Africa.”

    “The first centre opened on April 14, 2003 at Victoria Garden City, Lekki Lagos. But owing to the need for expansion, we moved to Ikoyi, Lagos in January 2008. The  Yaba Clinic opened its doors in October 2003 and the Clinic in Asaba opened  November 2009 . The  newest centre in Asokoro Abuja was commissioned in November 2012.

    “We were then and still are – driven by our essence, which is completing families. The numerous successes recorded within the organisation (and still counting) can be attributed to God, the hardworking staff and the clientele who have reposed their trust in us”.

    On IVF, Ajayi said it is unfortunate that infertility is seen as a personal problem when it is actually a  social problem which  government can help put on the front burner.  He said  IVF success rate is the same everywhere in the world, but regrets the lack of nationwide data in Nigeria.

    “The success rate is age-dependent. Julian’s mother had age on her side, because life comes primarily from the egg, so the younger the egg, when every other thing is normal, the better the success rate. This is why we tell people not to leave IVF as the last resort, because if you do, you are actually compromising on success rate.

    “We want people to report early so that there will be proper assessment and if you need IVF, do it when chances are best, and the best can be done for you. For people above 35, we still have above 40 percent success rate; the problem in Nigeria is that a lot of people above 37 are doing IVF. But things are getting better.

    According to Ajayi, sometimes there are couples that are seeing the traditional gynaecologist who is doing the assessment on them and everything is ok, but that is not so because the basic test can only identify a certain percentage of the problem.

    “For somebody that is 45, the first thing to look at is the age. If we look at it from this point of view, it is the eggs that become babies, for such woman. Even if she is still menstruating regularly, the problem lies with age which cannot be detected by regular tests. We are not going to look at whether she is ovulating or not, we are not looking at the stock ovaries, even then such person has normal function, we know it cannot be true. You have to interpret your tests holistically, so it is like a 60-year old woman who has an ovary function test that says normal. It cannot be, you have to look at the whole person to make your decision.

    He said when the vision of setting up Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos was conceived, the primary aim was to courageously combat the plague of infertility by providing true “comfort centres” where the pain of childless couples could be soothed both emotionally and medically.

    “Our first Centre opened on April 14, 2003 at Victoria Garden City, Lekki Lagos. But owing to our desire to be close to our clients and the fact that we were also rapidly expanding, we moved to Ikoyi, Lagos in January 2008. The Yaba Clinic opened its doors in October 2003 and in our bid to make our clients the centre of their world, another Clinic opened in Asaba in November 2009 and the newest Centre in Asokoro Abuja was commissioned in November 2012.

    “The lack of information about fertility options coupled with the stigmatisation associated with childlessness has contributed to the reason why a lot of people do not explore the possibility of assisted conception. This should not be seen as a taboo but seen as a means to an end. “

  • ‘I have never hidden the fact that I did IVF’

    ‘I have never hidden the fact that I did IVF’

    Nordica Fertility Centre’s first In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) baby turned 10 last week. The facility joined Master Julian Onwudinjo’s family to mark his birthday in Lagos where his mother, Francesca Onwudinjo, recounted her experience. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA reports.

     

    Emmanuel and Francesca Onwudinjo had been searching for the fruit of the womb for five agonising years when on September 14, 2004,they joined the growing list of happy parents of perfectly healthy IVF children with the birth of their son, Julian Oluchukwu, meaning “God’s work”.

    At birth, Julian was a miracle to his parents. He clocked 10 last Sunday. In a chat, the boy,  who wants to be an engineer, said his parents had always been open about the way he was conceived and born.

    Julian’s mother, Mrs Francesca Onwudinjo recalled her journey to motherhood. “I got married in July 1999 and had Julian in 2004, that was five years interval. I was taking treatment at Lagoon Hospital, but went to the internet to search for solution. I was 25 and desperately looking for the fruit of the womb. I was in the office and was just going through the internet when I saw the website of Nordica Fertility Centre, I took the address, at that time the clinic was at Victoria Garden City (VGC) in Lekki. I went there and made enquiries. That was how I met Dr. Abayomi Ajayi who I had known at Lagoon Hospital. I tried the first time and to God be the glory, it was successful. There is never any harm trying.

    Mrs Onwudinjo said she has never defended the fact that she gave birth though IVF.

    “We went through the normal tests, there was nothing wrong. I was not intimidated by the cost. I had no fears or reservations at that time. I read a lot and I found out what the process was about. It was a kind of assisted process. I knew that. It wasn’t as if the baby was going to fall from heaven, it is a natural process. Julian was a normal baby, and has grown into a normal child”.

    Mrs Onwudinjo has stood before congregations to talk about her experience. “I had no problems about the issue of stigma. I have never hidden the fact that I did assisted reproduction. There is nothing to hide because he is my blood. It was my egg that was taken as well as my husband’s sperm. So there is nothing to hide. For those that are hiding, it is ignorance. They need to be better educated about the process.

    “The Church I attend does not preach against IVF. I recall a few years ago, a doctor was invited from Abuja to lecture women on the IVF. He did with his team and educated women and asked the church to bring out three women to be given free IVF cycles. They did. Out of them, one was 54 years old; now she has two kids, twins – a boy and a girl. The husband was 69 last year. Another is carrying her baby now.

    “If I were to be in a Church that preaches against IVF, since I have gone through the process, I would try to educate the women and let them know that it is not as if the baby is coming from another planet. It is an assisted procedure just to help you to conceive. I can even go to the Pastor and use myself as example. Why would you suffer in silence when you know there is an alternative? Why are you dying in pains? Children come from God. You just try the best you can,” Francesca recounted.

    “Julian is like a son to us all here, our greatest achievement indeed,” said Medical Director/CEO, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, who remarked that in keeping hopes alive by “Completing families” brought about the vision of setting up Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos in 2003.

    He recalled that the  primary aim is to combat infertility by providing true ‘comfort centres’ where the pain of childless couples could be soothed emotionally and medically.

    On Julian’s birth, Ajayi said it represented a milestone for Nordica  and  a new hope for parenthood.  “Julian’s parents walked into Nordica Fertility Centre on October 11, 2003 and four months down the line after just one treatment cycle, the couple was greeted with the good news of the mother being pregnant with Julian. On September 14, 2004, the couple was blessed with Julian.

    “In view of our successes, first with Julian our first baby and all those that came thereafter, has come the need for further advocacy by the parents in order to share the good news. While we have achieved monumental growth in the number of babies conceived, we have equally not neglected our corporate social responsibility. Working in conjunction with the Fertility Treatment Support Foundation, FTSF, free fertility treatments have been made available to over 58 couples with diverse infertility challenges. We also work with the ESGN, Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria, the only Foundation supporting this cause in West Africa.”

    “The first centre opened on April 14, 2003 at Victoria Garden City, Lekki Lagos. But owing to the need for expansion, we moved to Ikoyi, Lagos in January 2008. The  Yaba Clinic opened its doors in October 2003 and the Clinic in Asaba opened  November 2009 . The  newest centre in Asokoro Abuja was commissioned in November 2012.

    “We were then and still are – driven by our essence, which is completing families. The numerous successes recorded within the organisation (and still counting) can be attributed to God, the hardworking staff and the clientele who have reposed their trust in us”.

    On IVF, Ajayi said it is unfortunate that infertility is seen as a personal problem when it is actually a  social problem which  government can help put on the front burner.  He said  IVF success rate is the same everywhere in the world, but regrets the lack of nationwide data in Nigeria.

    “The success rate is age-dependent. Julian’s mother had age on her side, because life comes primarily from the egg, so the younger the egg, when every other thing is normal, the better the success rate. This is why we tell people not to leave IVF as the last resort, because if you do, you are actually compromising on success rate.

    “We want people to report early so that there will be proper assessment and if you need IVF, do it when chances are best, and the best can be done for you. For people above 35, we still have above 40 percent success rate; the problem in Nigeria is that a lot of people above 37 are doing IVF. But things are getting better.

    According to Ajayi, sometimes there are couples that are seeing the traditional gynaecologist who is doing the assessment on them and everything is ok, but that is not so because the basic test can only identify a certain percentage of the problem.

    “For somebody that is 45, the first thing to look at is the age. If we look at it from this point of view, it is the eggs that become babies, for such woman. Even if she is still menstruating regularly, the problem lies with age which cannot be detected by regular tests. We are not going to look at whether she is ovulating or not, we are not looking at the stock ovaries, even then such person has normal function, we know it cannot be true. You have to interpret your tests holistically, so it is like a 60-year old woman who has an ovary function test that says normal. It cannot be, you have to look at the whole person to make your decision.

    He said when the vision of setting up Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos was conceived, the primary aim was to courageously combat the plague of infertility by providing true “comfort centres” where the pain of childless couples could be soothed both emotionally and medically.

    “Our first Centre opened on April 14, 2003 at Victoria Garden City, Lekki Lagos. But owing to our desire to be close to our clients and the fact that we were also rapidly expanding, we moved to Ikoyi, Lagos in January 2008. The Yaba Clinic opened its doors in October 2003 and in our bid to make our clients the centre of their world, another Clinic opened in Asaba in November 2009 and the newest Centre in Asokoro Abuja was commissioned in November 2012.

    “The lack of information about fertility options coupled with the stigmatisation associated with childlessness has contributed to the reason why a lot of people do not explore the possibility of assisted conception. This should not be seen as a taboo but seen as a means to an end. “

  • Medical ART Centre’s feat in assisted reproduction

    Medical ART Centre’s feat in assisted reproduction

    A private hospital, Medical ART Centre, Maryland Lagos on Friday, May 23, recorded a tremendous medical achievement when it carried out the conception and delivery of a set of quadruplet.

    The Medical ART Centre is headed by Prof. Oladapo Ashiru who experimented on the technique of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in 1983 and Embryo transfer in 1984 (human) in West Africa, otherwise called ‘test tube baby’, at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba. He performed this feat together with Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie.

    The quadruplets, comprising three females and one male, were delivered at 9:00am. They are currently being taken care of at the Neonatal Unit of MART Maternity Suite. They are receiving specialised attention through the use of ventilators, respirator and individual incubator, light phototherapy sets and monitors.

    The Group Medical Director (GMD), Medical ART Centre, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru expressed his happiness over the achievement, even as he said he has been able to prove that with the right facility in Nigeria, medical tourism could be reduced.

    He said: “In most centres worldwide, it is not an easy process to maintain and support the lives of premature babies. The story of this quadruplets started last year when the mother, a 30-year-old lady walked into the Obstetric Unit of the MART Medicare for treatment. The husband was invited as well. The couple’s treatment started in August 2013 with series of investigations and management. Diagnoses of primary infertility due to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCO) and male factor issues were carried out.

    “The couple thought IVF was the only option in assisted reproduction, but the above were addressed with specific medications and the Fallopian Tube Sperm Perfusion (FTSP) also known as artificial insemination which is a method of assisted conception was done in October 2013. She came back after two weeks for test and was confirmed positive by the Beta HCG (bHCG) pregnancy test.”

    Prof. Ashiru said the initial post-positive scan test was done to determine the position of the implantation.

    “One week later, another scan was done to confirm gestation and it revealed twin gestation. The seventh week scan showed triplet gestation and by eight week, the quadruplet gestation was confirmed. She was managed at MART Medical Art Centre high risk/multiple pregnancy care unit and was transferred to MART Medicare from the 10th week for continued routine monitoring.

    The Obstetricians at Mart Medicare, Dr. Lateef Akinola; Dr Moses Olusanjo and Dr. Oluwaseun Makewu did a Cervical Cerclage on her, after which she was closely monitored.”

    At week 20, she was re-admitted for close monitoring and plan of delivery. At week 33, she had elective Caesarean Section by a team of specialists led by Dr Akinola and Dr Olusanjo and team which included two anesthetists, two obstetricians, four neonatologists and theater nurses.

    The Consultant Gynaecologist/Obstetrician, Dr Akinola said: “This is a great feat for us as we have achieved the one stop plan for our patients to be taken from infertility management to delivery in the same facility, reducing the stress on patient and medical tourism outside the country.

    “The quadruplets are doing well. Even the one weighing 9kg is the most active. Naturally, the uterus is for one baby but you can have two. When you get three or four or more, then it will have great impact on the babies.

    “The reason is that the maximum weight for a normal single baby in the womb is 3.2kg, but when you have two or three, the weight increases. When you add all the weights of the three or four babies together, you get above 6kg and that is a lot of weight.

    “It depends on how fertilisation occurs. If it is one egg that divided into two, then the babies will share placenta. If it is an egg that fertilised separately, the placenta will fuse. The placenta is the connection between mother and the babies; it supplies food from mother to babies.

    “In multiple pregnancy; the baby closest to the placenta gets the most food and that will lead to weight differentials. The baby that is far from the placenta gets the left over, which is the case in this baby that is weighing 9kg. We call it Intero-placenta insufficiency.

    On why the medical team went ahead to deliver a 9kg baby, Dr Akinola said: “We have to be extremely careful with this kind of babies because if you don’t deliver them on time, you can lose them rapidly. So, you have to make a balance between delivering them prematurely and the effects of leaving them in the womb. You don’t want to deliver them too early because it is not too good for the babies nor leave them in the womb too long to avoid losing them. A balance must be struck. Also you have to bear the mother in mind; weight of 6kg is not a joke.”

    Prof. Ashiru said: “MART is happy to collaborate with and complement government’s effort in the reduction of maternal mortality and morbidity in the country. This was the pledge I made when the Mart Medicare was formally opened by the Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu in September, 2013.

    “With this, we have proven that medical tourism can become a thing of history if facilities like this exist in the country. When a patient goes outside the country on medical tourism, he or she goes at least with a relation. Paying for food and accommodation is not rosy there.

    “The convenience is not guaranteed. But here in the country, there is quality of service as the centres are manned by highly skilled professionals, coupled with state-of-the-art equipment. Paying in our currency also makes the services much more available. So, I am fulfilled.”

    Already, the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Emmanuella Fashola has paid a visit to the quadruplets.

    During the visit, Mrs. Fashola inspected the state-of-the-art labour ward, theatre, wards and highly equipped neonatal unit with capacity to handle premature babies with ventilators, respirator, incubators and monitors. She also visited the Mart Life Detox Clinic, where pre –fertility detoxification and stress reduction are carried out on couples planning for assisted conception.

    She expressed her satisfaction with the world-class facilities of the MART Group.

     

  • Towards a cheaper IVF process

    Towards a cheaper IVF process

    The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) unit has received a lift, 30 years after its establishment by two doctors, who ran it with their resources. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA writes.

     

    To address infertility, the Federal Government has released funds for the upgrade of the In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) unit at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to a clinic. The centre has been equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

    In the 80s, LUTH pioneered IVF in West Africa, but the government did not prioritise reproduction through IVF and the unit almost closed shop. But Prof Osato Giwa-Osagie and Prof Oladapo Ashiru, reputed to be the brains behind the first In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) in West Africa, did not give up. They pioneered the test tube baby procedure in Africa in 1984, and produced the first test tube baby in West Africa in 1989. The duo also set up a human sperm bank, the first in West Africa, East Africa and Central Africa.

    The duo set up the IVF unit as a research entity. IVF was obtained with about N80, 000.00. But now the estimated cost is about N250, 000 as against the over N500, 000 charged in most of the 35 private IVF centres in Nigeria. There are four IVF centres owned by the government.

    At the commissioning of the Assisted Conception Centre and Colposcopy Unit in LUTH, Prof Giwa-Osagie of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology said it was an important achievement. “When I gave my inaugural lecture, I said I was only waiting for one more thing; that is, for IVF to restart at LUTH. This is because IVF in the whole of East, Central and West Africa started in LUTH, under Prof Ashiru and me. There had been confusion over the years on evolution of IVF in Nigeria. Some 30 years ago, IVF kicked off in LUTH. It is a historical feat captured even in the hospital’s magazine. It is part of historical and institutional achievements of LUTH. I am a locus in the history of IVF in Africa; that was in the 80s,”Prof Giwa-Osagie said.

    The facility boasts of latest equipment with audio visual systems where the other partner can see the procedure, sitting outside the theatre and culture room, with advance technique, including physiological intracytoplasmic sperm injection (PICSI), to treat male and female infertility, including pre-implantation genetic screening i.e. PGS. At LUTH IVF Centre, the issue on infertility is addressed as a “couple issue”. Both the mother and father to be, are holistically evaluated to provide the most workable treatment solutions in line with the latest medical advancements.

    The IVF Centre offers consultations, expertise, standardised and transparent care delivery protocols, diagnostic services, quality processes, hand-holding every step of the way from pre-conception to post delivery and treatment facilities.

    Not only that, Giwa-Osagie said, there is a sperm bank.

    “Why did we need a sperm bank? We needed a sperm bank because it allows you to store the sperm so that it can be used for the patient, if, for instance, her husband is not around. It allows you to use sperms that had been screened for people who cannot produce sperm just the way you use blood bank to serve people who need blood. Of course, when assisted conception became more advanced, sperm banking became imperative and because LUTH is putting in place a world class IVF centre, it was in-tandem,” he said.

    On what the centre will offer couples, Giwa-Osagie said: “A fertility challenged couple can benefit from IVF. It can help men with low sperm count or un-descending sperm or unexplained infertility. As this place kicked off, I can tell you it is going to be like a market. The administrative aspect of the IVF centre must be managed in tandem with the finance, so there could be a revolving fund. As the patronage increases, there would be financial holes which some people may be tapping into in order to defraud the hospital. Let every hand be on deck to ensure that this centre does not go down. “It is very important to us at the clinic and unit. And we are happy that the centre is kicking off again. We are going to run it effectively. More hands would be trained from the university and the unit will provide services to the clients and researches will also be done to meet all the reasons for establishing a teaching hospital.

    “Another advantage is for men with low sperm count or insemination. Here at LUTH/College, we had the first sperm bank in the whole of West Africa with over 2,000 babies produced from same before it was stopped. That is useful when a man has zero sperm count. When a man has low sperm count, one can take sample direct from his testicles. And through ICSI, one sperm to one egg one can achieve 30 to 35 per cent pregnancy success rate. With such a man, he can have biological children of his own, that was not possible some 30 years ago.

    “With this new centre, women with very bad ovaries, such as those with Turner Syndrome i.e they never menstruate at all, can benefit from. We have proven this in 2005 by taking eggs from women that menstruate, fertilised with the sperm from the husbands of the women with Turner Syndrome and introducing same to such women (with Turner Syndrome). More opportunities now abound with this centre,” Giwa-Osagie said.

    He said: “The first pregnancy we had in LUTH was in 1984. The first baby through IVF was in 1989. Since that time the knowledge and stimulation regime to get many eggs from a woman, and reintroduce back into her, with the understanding that not more than two embryos are transferred; pregnancy rate success then was 29 per cent, but now 35 per cent. Two sets of women can now benefit from IVF- older women and women with Turner Syndrome or issues with their reproduction. Age is no longer barrier in conception through IVF.

    “Even where a woman does not menstruate again, you can obtain egg from a lady below 30 years and put in the older woman; it is now done worldwide, even here in Nigeria. The oldest woman with such experience is 63 years. In Nigeria, the oldest age we have recorded is 56 years.”

    On why he did not give up on the LUTH IVF centre over the years, when many of his contemporaries had gone fully into private practice, Prof Giwa-Osagie said in a society where there are priorities and interests, IVF tends to have low priority, because some people at the corridor of power believe diseases and infrastructure are more important compared to IVF. Aesthetically, they may be right and that paved the way for IVF to go fully private.

    “As of December last year, there were 37 IVF centres in Nigeria, of which LUTH; National Hospital, Abuja and University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), which we started and helped start, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Kwara and LASUTH by The Bridge Clinic, are in the public sector. IVF is very expensive. For a perfect IVF procedure, it cannot be less than N700, 000 per cycle. We all know what the minimum wage is.

    “From experience, some people in need go borrowing; sell their plots of land or houses just to do IVF. This is a procedure that has 30 to 40 per cent success rate. This is a fact. There is a 65 to 75 per cent rate of IVF not being successful. There is no 100 per cent success rate. The 30 per cent successes recorded are the fuel that keep IVF patronage. No one can say how successful any cycle would be. IVF is indispensable in Nigeria, whereby marriages break up easily due to infertility related issues. Any marriage without an issue is easily exposed to external influences. There are social and financial implications of IVF. So I pursued the funds to ensure LUTH IVF becomes a centre where subsidised IVF can be obtained,” he said.

    Giwa-Osato advised LUTH management on a gray area, which is, surrogacy. “The hospital must take a decision on surrogacy. Surrogacy is when a couple decides and agreed that another woman should carry a baby (pregnancy) for them. It is being practised world over, even here in Nigeria. Being a Federal hospital, the Ethics Committee must quickly arrive at a decision on surrogacy before the demands and patronages of the facility would peak,” he said.

    LUTH Management Board Chairman Dr Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu said: “This is to put LUTH in the centre of excellence in medicine in the committee of tertiary hospitals. Assisted conception centre, I believe would bring more joy and sense of completeness to many more homes. It is gladdening that LUTH is putting up a centre such as that up. It is a giant stride, a cutting edge in medicine.”

  • Our IVF story, by beneficiaries

    Our IVF story, by beneficiaries

    The first twins conceived in the country through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), in a private clinic, unveils a world-class IVF facility in Lagos. WALE ADEPOJU was there.

    The twins exude confidence. They beamed with smiles. They chatted and mingled with the guests, gathered at the unveiling of the world-class fertility clinic.

    Kosisochukwu and Ogechu-kwu Emekwue were conceived through the same procedure some 13 years ago. They were invited by the assisted reproductive centre, The Bridge Clinic, as chief guests, to unveil the clinic’s state of the art clinic, which is an improvement on the facility where they were conceived years ago.

    The twins, the first in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) babies of the clinic, were the cynosure of all eyes as they unveiled the new facility in Ikeja, Lagos State.

    They were a wonder to behold on arrival.

    People marvelled and remarked openly “at God’s wonders”, words used to describe them, as they heeded the Medical Director (MD), Dr Richardson Ajayi’s call when he beckoned on them to open the centre. They cut the tape. Declared the facility opened, for use of humanity. To bring smiles, joy and fulfilment to homes as they did. They were applauded by the guests.

    Speaking on their conception, their mother, Mrs Ifeoma Emekwue, said she took the step after six years of marriage without pregnancy.

    “I was finding it hard to conceive, so I was in that condition for six years. After going to several hospitals, I came to The Bridge, the doctor advised I have an IVF. I had gone to different places, including churches. I was diagnosed of blocked tubes due to an ectopic pregnancy. I realised that I had no chance for conceiving naturally,” she said.

    Mrs Emekwue said she got to know about IVF through a friend who encouraged her never to lose hope but rather ‘try the procedure’.

    “I went to the clinic but the MD, Dr Ajayi told me they were not yet ready that he was going to call me when they are ready. This was in 1998, so he called us in 1999. I went on and had the procedure and got pregnant and delivered a set of twins on January 19, 2000,” she said.

    She said the family didn’t come out to tell their story because people believed that the babies will be stigmatised. But the truth of the matter is if I’m childless I will even be stigmatised than when I have a baby through IVF,” she added.

    Mrs Emekwue said she had always made it known to people that she was happy about it and wanted other women who are having similar experiences to know about it.

    “A lot of women don’t even know what IVF is. So I wanted people to know. My friends were even asking me why I wanted people to know but I said it wasn’t a crime. God did it for me and I want other women to know about it so that they can also benefit from it,” she said.

    Mrs Emekwue said her husband had been very supportive and she had other people helping her to raise the children because they grew up like all other children. “As you can see, they are big and matured. They will clock 14 in January by the grace of God,” she said.

    She said it was difficult initially to convince her husband to allow them have an IVF. “So, when I went to The Bridge Clinic the first time, I didn’t tell him because I didn’t just want to be telling stories that I don’t know about. I only went to enquire and then tell him my findings. He was going to go anyway if I was going to go there. When I went there and came to tell him, he was angry. He said how dare you go to the clinic without telling me. Are you the husband? I told him that Dr Ajayi wanted to see him. He said tell him to tie a rope around my neck and drag me to his office.

    “But with a little bit of emotional blackmail of cry and the rest, he followed me to see him. But, initially, he was very angry not because he didn’t want to go but because I went ahead to enquire without letting him know. But I told him I wanted to find out the necessary information,’ she said.

    She said she was through with child bearing, adding that she has male and female children.

    Mrs Emekwue advised any couple trying IVF to go ahead because it is not evil.

    She said: “The procedure is not painful, even if it is, can one month of injection compared to a life time joy?”

    Dr Ajayi said it is the clinic’s professional response to provide patients with best facility to help solve their problems.

    He said 1,500 babies were born in the clinic’s facilities in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, adding that the clinic has been accredited since 2004.

    He said the facility collaborated with Prof Nicholas Zech, an IVF expert based in Austria because he has 25 years experience and over 25,000 babies born throgh his expertise. “The current facility can ensure 70 per cent chances of achieving pregnancy,” he said.

    On the collaboration, Prof Zech said his clinic had carefully selected The Bridge clinic because of its history as a standard clinic, which is among the very few with ISO.

    “Success is measured through subjective and objective measurements.”

    Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Femi Olugbile, said the state has set up a committee to regulate IVF practice in the state.

    He said Nigeria needs to have a conducive atmosphere so that it can perform open heart surgery and other complicated medical procedure, adding: “We need to make standard the basic starting point. This will ensure that patients are protected.”