 |
| Egg freezing through IVF.... the guardian |
Woman,freeze thy eggs
Unimaginable right? Thanks to technology, women need not worry about their biological clock ticking again as oocytes cryopreservation, also known as freezing of eggs has proved to be effective in keeping women’s eggs viable and fertile till they are needed for future use.
Time waits for no one.If you are above 30 years and you're still single, you have to look for ways of preserving your fertility.
Oladapo Ashiru, a professor of reproductive endocrinology,say that as a woman grows older; her reproductive functions become impaired, particularly ovarian functions.
The renowned IVF expert says that as much as the education of the female child is of upmost importance, emphasis on pursuing career goals while single at the expense of having a family has a negative impact on a woman’s fertility.
He says,“One of the commonest questions I have had to address from women is, ‘Why can’t I get pregnant?’This singular question is usually asked by women in their late 30s or early 40s; women at the peak of their careers.
“The answer is simple. The quality of the eggs diminishes as a woman grows older. Fertility challenges such as fibroids and other uterine problems are commoner among women in this age bracket.”
However, the specialist says that no one should become parents until they are mentally prepared to.
To avoid tasting the same bitter pill called infertility, IVF specialists recommend that women above 30 who have to delay child bearing should consider freezing their eggs for future use.
The procedure
“Fertility preservation has become a new event that we must all come to terms with especially for women or men in their mid 30s and are single. They must know that they will not be fertile forever. This can save them the hassle of boosting their fertility when they finally have a partner.
“It is not an invasive procedure and the oocytes can be preserved for more than 10 years. We recorded 62 per cent cleavage rate when we fertilised the frozen ooctyes(eggs) from donors. The results are great and as comparable to what you get if we had used fresh ooctyes retrieved through IVF,” he adds.
To get the best result of this novel protocol, doctors say you must do it at the right age.
Ashiru says that egg freezing is ideal when done at a younger age and would not benefit women do it in their late 30s or early 40s.
He quickly adds that not all women in this age bracket will experience infertility but it is better to be safe than sorry.
“Some older women will achieve spontaneous conception, but the likelihood is reduced in comparison to when they were much younger. But overtime, women within this age bracket are the major presenters to most IVF fertility centres and the most difficult to manage.
“ I only implore women to draw a balance between child rearing and their career. Companies such as Apple and Facebook have taken bold steps in considering ‘egg freezing’ for their young female employees to secure their chances of achieving conception when they are finally ready to embark on it.
“Certain stars and celebrities have also considered social egg freezing until a time when they would want to get pregnant. These are bold steps taken in the right directions, albeit, I hold the opinion of getting things done at the right time rather than “nipping in the bud’.
Fertility physician, Dr. Emmanuel Owie, however, states that oocytes cryopreservation is also necessary for women who have been diagnosed with cancer who may lose their fertility while undergoing chemotherapy.
Owie says that women who want to delay or space their children but are already above 35 may also consider this option to ensure that the ages are still viable when they are ready to have other kids.
“We have had upwardly mobile women in Nigeria requesting for this services. The protocol is beneficial for women with a family history of early menopause, women with objection to storing of embryos for religious and moral reasons and women who want to delay child bearing in order to pursue some personal goals.” He stated.
The good news is that a baby boy has been conceived using this protocol at the Bridge Clinic in Lagos, Nigeria. Tiwatope, whose parents plead for anonymity is said to be the first baby conceived using this procedure in West Africa.
To get the best result of this novel protocol, doctors say you must do it at the right age.
Ashiru says that egg freezing is ideal when done at a younger age and would not benefit women do it in their late 30s or early 40s.
He quickly adds that not all women in this age bracket will experience infertility but it is better to be safe than sorry.
“Some older women will achieve spontaneous conception, but the likelihood is reduced in comparison to when they were much younger. But overtime, women within this age bracket are the major presenters to most IVF fertility centres and the most difficult to manage.
“ I only implore women to draw a balance between child rearing and their career. Companies such as Apple and Facebook have taken bold steps in considering ‘egg freezing’ for their young female employees to secure their chances of achieving conception when they are finally ready to embark on it.
“Certain stars and celebrities have also considered social egg freezing until a time when they would want to get pregnant. These are bold steps taken in the right directions, albeit, I hold the opinion of getting things done at the right time rather than “nipping in the bud’.
Fertility physician, Dr. Emmanuel Owie, however, states that oocytes cryopreservation is also necessary for women who have been diagnosed with cancer who may lose their fertility while undergoing chemotherapy.
Owie says that women who want to delay or space their children but are already above 35 may also consider this option to ensure that the ages are still viable when they are ready to have other kids.
“We have had upwardly mobile women in Nigeria requesting for this services. The protocol is beneficial for women with a family history of early menopause, women with objection to storing of embryos for religious and moral reasons and women who want to delay child bearing in order to pursue some personal goals.” He stated.
The good news is that a baby boy has been conceived using this protocol at the Bridge Clinic in Lagos, Nigeria. Tiwatope, whose parents plead for anonymity is said to be the first baby conceived using this procedure in West Africa.
Do you want to know more?Please call+2348163528868
No comments:
Post a Comment