Woman, 58, Delivers Twins In Kumasi



The twin girls

A record number of Ghanaian women who have been married for several years and unable to get pregnant have taken to artificial insemination to have their babies, a clinical embryologist, Isaac Kofi Adu, has said.

A 58-year-old woman in her menopausal stage is said to have delivered twins in Kumasi through the process.

According to Kofi Adu, babies born using treatments from in-vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) have increased since the establishment of in-vitro fertilisation hospitals in the country.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE at the Trustcare Specialist Hospital & Fertility Centre in Kumasi where the 58-year-old woman delivered a set of twins, Mr Adu stated that although women today are generally healthier, fertility declines as people age.

A similar feat was recorded at Lapaz Community Hospital, where a 55-year-old woman was also delivered of twins a couple of months ago.

In the view of Kofi Adu, women's body produces fewer viable eggs when they get older, whilst men's sperms do not swim well as they age, creating fertility problems for couples.

The embryologist said this was the condition of the new nursing mother of twin girls when she visited the Trustcare Specialist Hospital in July 2015, having ceased menstruation for over 11 years.

“She underwent a surgical operation to remove a fibroid from her uterus (womb). Three months later, she was put on medication to enhance growth of the womb – as it had shrunk due to her menopausal state, and the IVF procedure commenced on February 2, 2016.

Mr Adu disclosed that the woman delivered of two girls last Wednesday after undergoing IVF treatment at the facility which has brought smiles back on her face.

“She was delivered of a set of twins through a caesarian session after a first IVF-ET attempt at the fertility centre. The first of the girls delivered weighed 2.1 kg, while the second one was 1.9 kg,” he asserted.

According to him, the IVF-ET is a specialised process in medicine that is used to help couples who for various reasons cannot get pregnant naturally.

In Ghana, the procedure was first introduced by a private specialist hospital in Tema in 1990.

He pledged the hospital's desire to continue supporting many more childless women to become mothers and bring happiness into their lives.

Records
The Trustcare Specialist Hospital & Fertility Centre has treated more than 30 post-menopausal women, some of whom were more than 50 years of age since December 2012.

Of the 30 women treated, nine of them were between ages 50-58. They have delivered singleton, twins and triplets, bringing happiness into marriages and families.

From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi

SOURCE; modernghana.com

IVF: HOSPITAL PUTS NIGERIA ON MEDICAL MAP

State-of-the-art theatre at  Lily Hospital, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria

Our facilities, services make medical tourism unattractive, say doctors

Hundreds of hitherto barren partners are now having babies through the delicate breakthrough process known as In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) at Lily Hospital in Warri, Delta state.

The Guardian learnt that over 200 babies have been delivered through IVF at the privately-owned Hospital, which is reportedly pioneering the method in the Niger Delta region and has acquired state-of-the-art medical equipment for IVF births as well as paraphernalia for urology, orthopedic, otorhinolaryngology (treatment of ear, nose and throat) and key-hole surgery among others – all in the effort to end medical tourism by Nigerians.

The facilities at the Lily Hospital are said to be a relief to Nigeria’s deficient health sector as medical experts from other parts of the world including doctors from India team up with Nigerian doctors to give specialist medicare to patients, several of who are tourists from outside Nigeria.

Director of the IVF programme at the Lily Hospital, Dr. Louis Alekwe, told The Guardian that over 200 babies had been successful delivered via the IVF procedure at the hospital. He said even barren women over 50 years old have had babies including women who don’t have womb – as a surrogate mothers could be arranged to bear the pregnancy.

According to the doctor, even if a woman does not have a womb another woman could be made to carry the pregnancy for her. “That is if the woman’s eggs and the man’s sperm were used the IVF process the baby will look exactly like the man or woman because it is a genetic thing; the genes you are look at.”

He explained: “Many couples come here with their marriage at the brinks. We try to counsel them that what they really need is hope. There is really no reason why anybody should not have a child now; most people can be helped. If they can come forward most people can be helped. There are very few you cannot do anything for. There are always fears.”

Alekwe recalled a touching IVF case he handled at the hospital involving an elderly man married to a woman of about 34 years. Despite marrying for several years they remained childless.

“The man didn’t believe they could have baby through IVF. The woman came to me I checked her out and she was okay, then I invited the husband the man kept refusing. The woman broke down and cried. Later the man came we checked him there was no sperm in the ejaculate but we discovered that every other thing was okay with him. So it might have been a blockage of the testis and where the sperm comes out from. So we said let us try the testis if we will find sperm and when we found sperm – the man was happy! It was like a major victory, we had her IVF done and the woman had a beautiful baby girl.

“The husband did not believe he felt that what we were doing was a scam until the pregnancy came out and he believed. After then she had had two other babies through IVF.”

He disclosed that there are cases where the man’s testis is not producing sperm and that the man will have to decide whether to accept a sperm from another man – as there is hardly medical remedy to the condition – and that it is quite difficult to accept by some men.

On the common belief in Nigeria that childlessness was always the fault of women, the doctor said infertility is not only a problem associated with women but that it cuts across both men and women on 30 per cent ratio.

“It is more difficult for the men to accept- most of the time the women are willing, even when you tell a woman she doesn’t have eggs she is always willing to accept eggs from the other women, men find it much more difficult. Some women come here with the two tubes blocked, we go ahead and do the IVF. The normal process of conception is the man sleeps with the woman and deposit sperms there, they travel and get into the tubes the woman releases her eggs. The eggs enter this tube so the sperm and the egg meets there and they form the baby, so if this is blocked there is no way the egg and sperm can meet naturally. The usual cause of blockage most times is infection,” Alekwe said.

It was learnt that Nigerians and non Nigerians come from the United Kingdom (U.K.), Ireland, Canada, United States (U.S.) and other African countries on medical visit to the hospital because they reportedly discovered that even though the standard are the same as those in the advanced countries services are cheaper especially when air fares are factored in.

Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, recently commissioned the massive four-storey edifice housing the Lily Hospital with its modern medical equipment ranging from dopler scans, CT scans, 3D and 4D scan, ECG, Spirometry and Audiometry, and he said that with the up-to-date equipment he saw at the hospital that there was no need for Nigerians to embark on medical tourism.

A computerised tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays and a computer to create detailed images of the inside of the body. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. Spirometry is a test that can help diagnose various lung conditions, most commonly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). An audiometry exam tests your ability to hear sounds.

Similarly, the operating officer at Lily Hospitals, Dr. Austin Godwin Okogun, told The Guardian that with the advancement in the medical sector in Nigeria there was no need for Nigerians to travel out of the country to seek medical aid as several private hospitals in the country including Lily were now equipped with latest tools to manage any medical condition.

 

Couples trial low cost IVF treatment in Ghana

Aureos invests in West African IVF treatment centre

London-based emerging markets investor Aureos has completed a $5m investment in Therapia Health Limited, the holding company for The Bridge Clinic Limited, the first assisted reproductive centre in West Africa.The Bridge Clinic is one of the few of its kind able to provide the same standard of reproductive technology in Nigeria as is available in more developed countries, Aureos said in a statement released today.The investment in Therapia is intended for a direct investment in The Bridge Clinic and an indirect investment in PathCare Nigeria; two healthcare services in the areas of fertility assistance and medical laboratories in Nigeria.The Bridge Clinic was incorporated in 1996 and started operations in 1999 as an assisted reproductive centre, working in collaboration with Kings College Hospital, London.PathCare Nigeria was established in 2004 in conjunction with PathCare Group of South Africa, to provide medical tests for monitoring and medical treatment across Nigeria.To date, over 3,000 IVF cycles carried out by the group have resulted in an improved 40 per cent pregnancy rate for Nigerian women patients.The key growth drivers for the group are mainly the growing market potential of the IVF and medical laboratory sectors as well as a talented team and strategic alliances that can take advantage of the opportunities for the growth, the firm said.“The Bridge Clinic and PathCare Nigeria has an impressive track record working within the West African market and we are excited to work with them as they continue to expand their exceptional medical offering,” said Aureos managing director Jacob Kholi.“The objective of this collaboration is to provide world class infertility treatments in Africa that meet the EU cell and tissue directive standards (2004/23/EC), which are regarded as the most stringent standards in the world.”The deal was completed through the firm’s Africa Health Fund, which aims to help low income Africans gain access to affordable health services while providing investors with long-term financial returns.The fund was established in June 2009 with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Finance Corporation, the African Development Bank and DEG as cornerstone investors.Subsequent investors include a major Dutch bank, Elma Foundation, Norfund, Proparco and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

IVF TRIPLETS DELIVERED

THE FAMILY Health Hospital (FHH) has through
its In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) programme delivered a set of triplets at their
facility in Teshie, Accra.
The hospital which started the IVF programme some two years ago has had several success stories which included the delivery of a set of twins last May and triplets this May.
The three beautiful baby girls were delivered of a client who according to one of the Directors of the hospital, Dr. Yao Kwawukume had for the past ten years been desperately yearning to have a child to no avail until she walked into their facility about a year ago.
Two months after her visit, she was artificially inseminated with an embryo which resulted in a multiple pregnancy.
The birth weights of the triplets are 1.9kg, 1.8kg and 1.9kg respectively.
The pregnancy was full term and when the expectant mother was due on May 1, 2011, specialists at the FHH including pediatricians earnestly awaited the arrival of the babies who were successfully delivered through cesarean section.
All tests carried on the babies so far indicate that they are healthy and may not need any special care to survive.
At the time Health Matters visited the facility, the triplets were fast asleep and looked very healthy. Dr. Kwawukume Director told the paper in an
interview that even in the case of 50-year-old women with fertility problems, there is still hope, stressing there is donor protocol to get ovaries (eggs) to facilitate the insemination for women who no longer produce ovaries.
Further, the facility has a special machine which could pick a healthy sperm from men suffering a low sperm count for successful insemination.
Aside the IVF and general health care
services, the FHH operates other special units like dialysis centre for persons with kidney failure, ambulance services, pharmacy and an ultra-modern Nursing Training School which trains health assistants as well as diploma nurses and midwives.
With Dr. Susu Kwawukume as its Medical Director, the FHH hopes to be a centre of excellence in providing affordable comprehensive medical treatment and preventive healthcare to all by using the
best modern practices and the best professionals while ensuring high ethical standards.
Established some fourteen years ago at Latebiokorshie, the FHH has relocated its facility to Teshie where it runs a 24 hour service.
By Rocklyn Antonio
Source:modernghana.com

$200 in-vitro? Docs to offer procedure in Africa

1 in 3 women are unable to have children, often ostracized, officials say
BARCELONA, Spain - Doctors are getting ready to introduce a cheap in-vitro fertilization procedure across Africa, where women often are ostracized as witches or social outcasts if they cannot have children, officials said Monday.
Millions of dollars go into family planning projects and condom distribution to prevent pregnancies in Africa, but experts said that more than 30 percent of women on the continent are unable to have children. An estimated 80 million people in developing countries are infertile worldwide.
"Infertility is taboo in Africa," said Willem Ombelet, head of a task force at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology looking into infertility in developing countries. "Nobody has paid attention to this issue, but it is a huge problem and we need to do something."
At a media briefing at the society's annual conference in Barcelona, Ombelet said that he and colleagues were deciding in which countries to test the new procedure.
A small number of women already have been treated in Khartoum, Sudan, and other projects are expected to start soon in South Africa and Tanzania.
Lower cost, but also lower success rateThe cheap version of IVF costs less than $200. Standard IVF treatments in the West cost up to $10,000.
Instead of using expensive lab equipment and medicines, experts said cheaper options could also work. For instance, rather than using an expensive incubator to create an embryo, Ombelet said that a water bath could be used in Africa.
Less expensive medicines also would effectively stimulate women's ovaries to produce more eggs, and costs could be further cut by using cheaper needles and catheters.
But because fewer eggs would be produced by using the cheaper drugs, the success rate would also be lower. In developed countries, IVF is usually successful in about 20 percent of cases. But in Africa, Ombelet estimates it would probably be about 15 percent.
The inexpensive procedure has been used on cows and a small number of women. Researchers in the United States are working on developing an even cheaper IVF procedure that might be more effective.
Despite dozens of other health priorities — from AIDS to pneumonia to malaria — experts said it was worthwhile to introduce a cheap version of IVF.
Some women labeled as witchesIn Africa, where infertility is more common than in the West, women often suffer the problem after complications from unsafe deliveries, abortions or infections.
"The cost of being infertile in Africa is much greater than in the West," said Oluwole Akande, an emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Akande acknowledged the price of the procedure would still be available only to Africa's upper and middle classes.
He said that in many parts of Africa women who are unable to have children become social outcasts, are labelled as witches, and in extreme cases, are even driven to suicide.
Sembuya Rita, an infertility activist from Uganda, said it was essential for public health officials to address the issue. "It's a fundamental right for every person to have a child," she said.
Rita said that infertile women often were economically disadvantaged as their husbands left them for other women and were cut out of family inheritances.
Experts said that even if millions of women were treated with low-cost IVF, it would only result in a one to two percent boost in the overall population.
But with limited funds for public health, officials admitted it would be a tough sell.
"It's definitely going to be viewed as a lower priority," said Dr. Sheryl Vanderpoel, a reproductive health expert at the World Health Organization.

SOURCE: msnbc.com

Local fertility doctor scores another first

A Kenyan doctor, Dr Joshua Noreh has discovered a new way of increasing the success rate for pregnancies among couples with infertility problems. The new method has increased pregnancy success rates by up to 50 per cent.

It has also ensured embryos are transferred at the right time, just when the uterus is ready for implantation, significantly reducing failure rates.
With this method, the number of embryos transferred in a single treatment cycle will reduce from three to one, resulting in fewer multiple pregnancies. It also ensures availability of embryos for a couple intending to have more children in future.

In-vitro-fertilisation
This is good news for couples who have been spending more than Sh700,000 in repeat treatments after initial fertility procedures fail. The new method will cost Sh300,000, with no need for repeat procedures.
The technique is an improved in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedure in which the number of days an egg is left to develop into an embryo before being transferred into a woman’s uterus has been increased from two to five.
Presenting his findings to fellow doctors during the East, Central and Southern Africa Association of Obstetrical and Gynaecological Societies forum held in Mombasa, Kenya last week, Dr Joshua Noreh of Nairobi IVF Centre described the development as the best advances in the field in the past three years.

“What we are experiencing in our clinic is something that can improve management of couples with infertility problems, and the practice of IVF in Kenyan clinics currently offering this form of treatment to women and men,” says Dr Noreh.

IVF is a procedure in which eggs are taken from a woman and sperm from a man before they are fertilised in a laboratory. The resulting embryos are then transferred back to her uterus for pregnancy to take place.
The first IVF baby in the world was born in July 1978 in England. Locally, the procedure costs between Sh300,000 and Sh400,000 depending on the severity of infertility.

The technique is usually used on women without eggs or with blocked or damaged Fallopian tube – the pipe through which the egg travels from the ovary to the uterus for implantation to take place – and men with poor sperm quality.

Initially, after retrieving the egg from the woman and fertilising it, the egg was left for two days to develop into an embryo and then transferred to the uterus for normal pregnancy to take place.
The pregnancy rate with this procedure was 26 per cent, meaning women who failed to get pregnant had to spend another Sh250,000 for a repeat procedure.

Such outcomes so disturbed Dr Noreh and his embryologist, Dr Tucs Olegs, that they decided to increase the number of days of embryo development in the test tube to five days.

Although results of the first cases were not significant, they were a great improvement. The real success came last year in subsequent treatment cycles, with pregnancy success rate increasing from 26.1 per cent to 52 per cent and has since remained like that.

“Any improved pregnancy rates like this means many couples will take home babies after the first treatment cycle, avoiding the costs and stress associated with repeat treatment,” says Dr Noreh.
The success is a major development since 2006 when he made history by delivering the first test tube babies locally.

By end of last year, Dr Noreh’s Nairobi IVF Centre had delivered 96 test tube babies. The oldest is now two years and nine months.