Test tube babies – Hope for the infertile

 

John * and his wife have been married for the past 10 years. However, they have not been able to get a child despite numerous visits to the gynaecologist. They only discovered their problem two years ago; which was that John had a zero sperm count. Their gynaecologist told them to consider adoption. However, they felt that there were other options available to them and they decided to find them out. This is when they stumbled upon In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). Since then, life has never been the same; John’s wife is now five months pregnant.

This is just one of the many cases of couples grappling with infertility. However, the test tube baby technology has given many couples hope as they are now able to bear their own children. Kenya joined the world super league in medical breakthrough when the first test tube babies were delivered in a Nairobi Clinic. This was a moment of celebration both within the medical fraternity and among infertile couples as they saw a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel- meaning an end to their childlessness. The event which marked a historical day in Kenya happened in the year 2006. It put Dr. Joshua Noreh, who carried out the operation successfully, into the public limelight.

Mrs. Joy Noreh, a nurse at the Nairobi IVF Centre gives a few insights on IVF:

WHAT IS IN VITRO FERTILISATION (lVF)?
The term In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) can be defined as follows: ‘In Vitro’ means ‘in glass’, thus the test tube baby treatment. IVF is a treatment that is given to people who either cannot conceive naturally or are infertile. Infertility is a condition affecting many couples and this technology can enable them bear their own children.

WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR SEEKING IVF TREATMENT?
Couples can seek IVF treatment for the following reasons:

• The woman might either be having blocked tubes or fibroids; misplaced or nonexistent cervix or womb; or may have reached menopause at an early age.
• Her husband could either be having a low sperm count; no sperms at all or very low testosterone levels.
• Unexplained fertility:  In this case, the man and the woman can be in perfect condition. He has adequate sperm count while the woman has clear tubes; and yet they cannot conceive.

HOW IS IT ADMINISTERED?
Clients are normally given the kind of IVF treatment that is individually suited to their cases. It is very intricate treatment. Before anything is done, the doctor interviews the client and the partner extensively regarding their medical history. The doctor also orders for tests to be done; notably to find out the quality of the woman’s eggs-and the man’s quality of sperm.

WHAT SOLUTIONS DOES IVF OFFER?
Although initially IVF was offered as a solution for women with tubal damage only, the field has expanded over the years. It now deals with all sorts of causes of infertility-both  male and female.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES IVF TREATMENT INVOLVE?
Standard treatment involves four steps:

• The administration of fertility drugs
• Monitoring of the menstrual cycle
• Collection of ova or eggs
• Mixing the eggs and sperms together outside the woman’s body in a culture dish or test-tube. (This may also involve the injection of sperm directly into the egg to maximise chances of conception). Any resulting embryos are given time to grow and the best two to three embryos are then transferred into the woman’s womb.

HOW LONG DOES IVF TREATMENT TAKE?
There are two protocols:

1. The Long Protocol which involves putting the woman on an initial treatment in order to get her womb into an ideal state for conception, and thereafter proceeding with IVF. It can take as long as an entire month.
2. The Short Protocol which can be completed within two weeks; this is administered to a woman whose womb is in good state.

WHAT IS THE SUCCESS RATE?
There are instances where conception does not occur even after all the tests checks and the treatment are done. The success of IVF treatment is therefore not guaranteed. At the Nairobi IVF Centre the rate of success is approximately 40 per cent. Majority of the developed countries have recorded the average success rate of IVF of between 27-49 per cent.

WHY ARE MULTIPLE PREGNANCIES COMMON WITH IVF TREATMENT?
The fact that the best two to three embryos are transferred into the woman’s womb accounts for the high number of multiple pregnancies in IVF treatment. The remaining good quality embryos are normally frozen for future use should the couple want more children.

*Not real name

END: PG15/ 10