Fertility preservation, solution to parenthood for career-minded couples — Gynaecologist
NAN-HG-4
Fertility
By Talatu Maiwada
Abuja, Sept. 28, 2016(NAN) An Abuja-based Consultant Gynaecologist, Dr Ibrahim Wada, says preservation of sperms and eggs is the ultimate solution to child bearing for career men and women.
Wada said this on Wednesday in Abuja at a forum with the theme “The Place of Assisted Reproduction in Infertility Management’’.
He defined fertility preservation also known as `cryopreservation’ as the storage of gamete embryos such as sperms in males or eggs in females of couples for future child bearing.
Wada, an internationally acclaimed gynaecologist and fertility expert, in 1996, founded Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja, where Nigeria’s first ever “deep freeze” or test-tube baby was born on 12th October 2001.
He noted that the quest for career has heightened in the 21st century just as significant achievements in the field of reproductive endocrinology and fertility have been recorded.
According to him, fertility preservation is also useful for couples who want to postpone having children for medical reasons such as treatment of cancer or ovarian cysts.
He explained that sperms and eggs could be frozen prior to radiotherapy, chemotherapy and extensive surgeries.
“For some societies where women are increasingly becoming household heads and men engaged in demanding professions, fertility preservation seems to be the ultimate solution.
“No longer should the pressure of having a baby when someone is not ready weigh them down.’’
On factors responsible for infertility, Wada underscored the importance of adopting healthy lifestyle, adding that avoiding infection, smoking and alcoholism, could help prevent infertility.
“Diverse factors are responsible for the inability of couples to conceive and bear children.
“In men, it could be the sperm quality, infections, injury, aging or impotency while in women ovulation problems, aging, egg quality, blocked tubes, among others.
“As an individual grows older, there could be various impediments to one’s fertility such as smoking, alcoholism, drugs and high risk occupation which could account for decline in sperm count,’’ he said. (NAN)
TIM/HS/NKO
Edited by Halima Sheji/Halima Sheji
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