IVF in Nigeria

IVF CLINICS IN NIGERIA - CONTACT INFO

2012-01-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

You do not need to travel abroad for standard IVF treatment as it is now available in Nigeria at a fraction of what it would cost you abroad.

You save on air fare and hotel bills and the success rates are comparable with those of clinics overseas. Plus, you are likely to get more suitable egg donors in the country, if you happen to need them. Nigerians resident abroad also find it cost effective to make the trip back, for IVF treatment.

Today, there are about 18 IVF clinics in Nigeria (mostly located in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial centre). After the birth of Nigeria’s 1st test tube baby, an event led by the Dapo Ashiru-Giwa-Osagie team in 1989, there was no follow-up in this field until a few years ago with the establishment of some private IVF clinics.

Although relatively few in number, these clinics offer value for money and can boast of success stories. It must be stressed however that the number of women actually treated in each clinic, their set up dates and the take home baby rates, must be taken into consideration when assessing their success rates.

In making a choice of clinic for IVF treatment, you can always go with the recommendation of your gynaecologist but you will be better off knowing what your options are, as set out in the following list.

THE CLINICS BELOW ARE LISTED ALPHABETICALLY. THERE IS AS YET NO NIGERIAN BODY SUCH AS BRITAIN’S HFEA (AN INDEPENDENT REGULATORY BODY THAT LICENSES FERTILITY CLINICS), TO VERIFY ANY CLAIMS OF SUCCESS RATES.

1. Bridge Clinic

2011-05-15T16:37:00.000-07:00

Dr. Ajayi

Plot 1397A Tiamiyu Savage Street,
Victoria Island, Lagos.
Tel: 01-2623268 ; 2610686
Email: bridge@om.metrong.com ; info@thebridgeclinic.com
Website: www.thebridgeclinic.com
Medical Director: Dr. Richardson A. Ajayi

Ikeja Centre:
63 Oduduwa Crescent,
Ikeja G.R.A,
Lagos.
Tel: 07028806815 ; 01-4485401-2

Port Harcourt Centre:
41A Evo Road,
G.R.A Phase II, Port Harcourt.
Tel: 084-465 003 – 5

Kaduna Centre:
26 Kinshasa Road,
Ungwa Rimi GRA,
Kaduna North, Kaduna State
Tel: 00234- (84) 0819 140 2315

Set up date: 1999
No of ivf/icsi treatment cycles to date: 4,500
No of babies to date: 1,252

2. Britannia Hospital
Plot 13, Aliyu Animashaun Avenue
off Omorinre Johnson (1st turning right on Admiralty Way)
Behind First Bank
Lekki Phase One
Lagos, Nigeria

Telephone: 08036066989 ; 08078704277

Email: info@britanniahospital.com

Website: http://www.britanniahospital.com/

Set up date: February 2009

3. DIFF Hospital

2011-05-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

Dr. Idahosa

6 Udi Hills Close

Aso-Drive,

Maitama, Abuja

Telephone: DA Office: 09-2908426 ; Reception: 09-2906387 ; Nurses Station: 09-2906387 ;

E-mail: info@diffhospital.com

Website: http://www.diffhospital.com

Medical Director: Dr. John O. Idahosa

4. Eko Hospital Fertility Center

2011-01-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

Dr. Ogunmokun

Telephone: 01-4978800-9

E-mail:

Website: http://www.ekohospitals.com

Chief Medical Officer: Dr. Adegbite Ogunmokun

START UP DATE: 2009. 4 babies, 11 ongoing pregnancies to date. 36% success rate.

Cut off treatment age:55

5. George's Memorial Medical Center

2010-01-13T01:24:00.000-08:00

Dr. Iketubosin

6, Rasheed Alaba Williams Street,
Off Admiralty Way,
Lekki Phase One, Lagos.
Tel: 01-2715320
Email: info@georgesmedical.com
Website: www.georgesmedical.com
Medical Director: Dr. Faye Iketubosin

6. Hope Valley Clinic

2009-10-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

Dr. Ogunkoya

261, Etim Inyang Crescent,
Victoria Island Annex, Lagos.
Tel: 01-4618989 ; 08033069466
Email: thehopevalleyclinic@hyperia.com
Website: www.thehopevalleyclinic.net

Medical Director: Dr. Olugbenga Ogunkoya

Portharcourt clinic:
17b Ahiamakara Road, Nwaja Junction,
Transamadi Industrial Layout Rd.,
(Between Magnum & Platinum Bank)
Port Harcourt.
Tel: 084-578956 ; 084-462118 ; 08037048154

Abuja Clinic;
Plot 1021, B5 Shehu Yar’Adua Way,
Opposite Fed. Ministry of Works,
(Within Zankli Medical Centre) Utako District, Abuja.
Tel: 09-2733013 ; 09-6715876 ; 07039324220

Kaduna Clinic:
23/24, Aliyu Turaki Rd., Off Isa Kaita Rd,
Matali GRA, Kaduna.
Tel: 062-371253 ; 07035903551; 08033069466

Benin Clinic:
No. 7B, (Behind No7) Eguadasa Str.,
Off Akpakpava Rd., Benin City.
Tel: 08033069466 ; 08050240728 ; 08037227238

7. King's Care Hospital, Abuja

2009-10-05T16:02:00.002-07:00

Dr. Alasa Abu

Plot 2181, Ibrahim Babangida Way

Wuse II, Abuja.

7, Christmas Road, behind Police Affairs Quarters,
Phase 4, Kubwa, Abuja
Tel: +234-9523552-4 ; +234-95235515
Email: info@kingscarehospital.org

Website: www.kingscarehospital.org
Chief Medical Director: Dr. Alasa Abu Humphrey

Portharcourt Center:

17B Ahaimakara Road,Transamadi Industrial Layout Road,Portharcourt.

Tel: 084: 578956 ; 08037048134 ; 08033069466

8. Kingsway Clinics

2009-10-05T16:02:00.001-07:00

Dr. O. Lanre Olaitan

Dept. of Human Kinetic & Health Education

Ilorin Kwara State.

Tel: 08034715348

Website: http://www.lanreproductivehealth.webs.com

Scientific Director: Dr. O. Lanre Olaitan

9. Medical Art Center

2009-10-05T16:01:00.001-07:00

Professor Dapo Ashiru

Lofom House,
21 Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way
P.O.Box 5747,Ikeja,Lagos
Tel: 01-4971970
Email: mart@infoweb.abs.net
Website: http://www.medicalartcenter.com/
Medical Director: Professor Oladapo Ashiru

10. Midland Fertility Center

2009-10-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Abiodun Akanbi Gafar

Olusegun Obasanjo

Way

Adewole Estate, Ilorin(From the University of Ilorin Mini campus, drive straight to Adewole round-about and proceed right through Olusegun Obasanjo Way, then turn right at the traffic control junction, Midland Fertility Centre is on the Opposite road).

Tel: 034-742270 ; 08037252959 ; 08036850384

Website: http://www.midlandfertilitycentre.com

Medical Director: Dr. Jimoh Abiodun Akanbi Gafar

11. M & M Hospital

2009-10-05T15:59:00.002-07:00

Dr. Prosper Igboeli
The Fertility and IVF Center
10 Ngozi Avenue / 127 Faulks Road,
Aba, Abia State.
Tel: +234-82-227-798 ; 08033240452
Branch: Nigerian Navy Service Housing Estate, Karshi, Nasarawa State.
Email: drprosper@mmfertilityhospital.com
Website: www.mmfertilityhospital.com
Medical Director: Dr. Prosper Ikechukwu Igboeli

12. National Hospital Abuja

2009-10-05T15:59:00.001-07:00

Plot 132, Central Business District,(Phase II)
Garki, Abuja
Email: info@nationalhospitalabuja.net
Website: www.nationalhospitalabuja.net
Chief Medical Director:
Tel: 08033495146

13. Nisa Premier Hospital

2009-10-05T15:58:00.002-07:00

Dr. Ibrahim Wada

Plot 618, Alex Ekwueme Way,
Jabi, Wuse,
Abuja.
Telephone: 08035967303
Website: www.nordica.org/nisa-hospital
Medical Director: Dr. Ibrahim Wada

14. Nordica Fertility Centre

2009-10-05T15:58:00.001-07:00

Dr. Abayomi Ajayi
106/108 Norman Williams Street,
South West Ikoyi,Lagos.
Email: info@nordicalagos.com ;
yomiajayi@nordicalagos.com
Website: http://www.nordica-lagos.org/
Telephone: 01-4617023-4 ; 4610858
Medical Director: Dr. Abayomi Ajayi

15. Omni Advanced Fertility Center

2009-10-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie

18 Boyle Street,
Onikan, Lagos.
Telephone: 01-2630304 ; 01-2646304
Email: info@ivflagos.org
Website: www.ivflagos.org
Medical Director: Professor Osato Giwa-Osagie

14(ii) Prime Medical Consultants
4 Prime Close, Off Chief Nyenwenwo Avenue,
Rumuogba, Port Harcourt.
Tel: +234-84462808; 08033134822
Email: info@primemedicalonline.com
Website: http://www.primemedicalonline.com
Clinical Director: Dr. Gabriel Ominyi

16. Roding Medical Centre

2009-10-05T15:56:00.000-07:00

Dr. Adeyemi Bero

29B Olabode George Street,
Off Ajose Adeogun Street,
Victoria Island, Lagos.
P.O. Box 73271 Victoria Island.
Telephone: 01- 2626169 ; 26226170
Fax:+234-2703628
Email: info@rodingmedicalcentre.com
Website: www.rodingmedicalcentre.com
Medical Director: Dr. Adewunmi Adeyemi-Bero

17. St. Ives Specialist Hospital : IVF & Fertility Unit

2009-10-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

Dr. Tunde Okewale
4, Mojidi Street,
Off Toyin Street,
Ikeja, Lagos.
Telephone: 01-8974878
Email: info@stivesng.com
Website: www.stivesng.com
Medical Director: Dr. Tunde Okewale

18. University of Benin Teaching Hospital, IVF Unit

2009-10-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

UBTH IVF Unit

P.M.B 1111
Ugbowo Lagos Road,
Benin City
Edo State.
Telephone: +234-8066588944 ; 8037275398 ; 8023414302 ; 8023522668 ; 8032185212
Email (general enquiries): info@ubth.org
Website: www.ubth.org
Chief Medical Director: Professor Eugene Okpere
IVF Unit Programme Director: Professor A.A. Orhue

ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF IVF CLINICS IN NIGERIA

2008-02-10T22:41:00.000-08:00

1. Bridge Clinic
Plot 1397A Tiamiyu Savage Street,
Victoria Island, Lagos.
Tel: 01-2623268 ; 2610686
Email: bridge@om.metrong.com ; info@thebridgeclinic.com
Website: www.thebridgeclinic.com
Medical Director: Dr. Richardson A. Ajayi

Port Harcourt Center
41A Evo Road,
G.R.A Phase II
Port Harcourt.
Tel: (084) 465 003 – 5

2. DIFF Hospital

3. Eko Hospital Fertility Centre

4. George's Memorial

5. Hope Valley Fertility Clinic
261, Etim Inyang Crescent,
Victoria Island, Lagos.
Tel: 01-4618989 ; 08033069466
Email: thehopevalleyclinic@hyperia.com
Website: www.thehopevalleyclinic.com
Medical Director: Dr. Olugbenga Ogunkoya

Portharcourt Center
17B Ahaimakara Road,
Transamadi Industrial Layout Road,
Portharcourt.
Tel: 084: 578956 ; 08037048134 ; 08033069466

6. King's Care Hospital

7.Kingway Clinics

8. Medical Art Center
Lofom House
21 Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way
P.O.Box 5747,
Ikeja,
Lagos
Tel: 01-4971970
Email: mart@infoweb.abs.net
Website: www.medicalartcenter.com
Medical Director: Professor Oladapo Ashiru

9. Midland Fertility Centre

10. M & M Hospital
The Fertility and IVF Center
10 Ngozi Avenue / 127 Faulks Road,
Aba, Abia State.
Tel: +234-82-227-798 ; 08033240452
Email: drprosper@mmfertilityhospital.com
Website: www.mmfertilityhospital.com
Medical Director: Dr. Prosper Ikechukwu Igboeli

11. National Hospital Abuja
Plot 132, Central Business District,
(Phase II)
Garki, Abuja
Email: info@nationalhospitalabuja.net
Website: www.nationalhospitalabuja.net
Chief Medical Director: Dr. Olusegun Ajuwon
Tel: 08033495146

12. Nisa Premier Hospital
Plot 618, Alex Ekwueme Way,
Jabi, Wuse, Abuja
Telephone: 08035967303
Website: www.nordica.org/nisa-hospital
Medical Director: Dr.Ibrahim Wada

13. Nordica Fertility Centre
106/108 Norman Williams Street,
South West Ikoyi,
Lagos.
Email: info@nordicalagos.com ; yomiajayi@nordicalagos.com
Website: www.nordicalagos.com
Medical Director: Dr. Abayomi Ajayi

14. Omni Advanced Fertility Center
18 Boyle Street,
Onikan, Lagos.
Telephone: 01-2630304 ; 01-2646304
Email: info@ivflagos.org
Website: www.ivflagos.org
Medical Director: Professor Osato Giwa-Osagie

15. Roding Medical Centre
29B Olabode George Street,
Off Ajose Adeogun Street,
Victoria Island,
Lagos.
Telephone: 01- 2626169 ; 26226170
Medical Director: Dr. Adewunmi Adeyemi Bero

16. St. Ives Specialist Hospital : IVF & Fertility Unit
4, Mojidi Street,
Off Toyin Street,
Ikeja, Lagos.
Telephone: 01-8974878
Email: info@stivesng.com
Website: www.stivesng.com
Medical Director: Dr. Tunde Okewale

17. University of Benin Teaching Hospital; IVF Unit

RELATED FERTILITY LINKS: http://www.naturalfertilityaids.blogspot.com/

http://www.invitrofertilisation.blogspot.com

IVF SUCCESS TIPS AND HINTS

2008-02-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

GENERAL IVF HINTS

The main IVF hint is to pamper yourself! An IVF cycle is a very stressful thing and anything that helps you through it without harming a potential baby is okay!

Decide ahead of time where and how you want to get news each day for how much medication to take, etc. This is especially important on the big days of finding out about fertilization and pregnancy test. Those days can be tough if things don't go well! You might want your partner or a good friend around!

Rest is very important, even before transfer. All those developing eggs are taking up a lot of space and energy.

Try to get to know the people who are treating you so you aren't just another patient.

It may help to make a friend or two who is at the clinic for IVF, too.
Bring a book, magazine, or hand-held game with you to appointments. You might be there for awhile.

Make sure they do a mock transfer prior to the actual embryo transfer. This is not fun, but it is necessary that they know the depth of your uterus so they know where to put the embryos.

Do whatever it is you need to do to make this manageable for you. (Naps, backrubs, favorite foods, etc. Be very good to yourself during this time.)
Small amounts of alcohol will probably not adversely affect you or your eggs, but caffeine has been shown to affect fertility, even in small amounts, so try to avoid it.

Buy a good, up-to-date fertility book and try to find out as much as you can about the IVF process beforehand. There are always new advances, so try to keep up with the changes in techniques.

Always ask your RE a lot of questions about your progress, what the numbers mean, etc. That is what they are there for! Also, you should be able to get copies of anything in your file (like your follicle growth and E2 test results and fertilization report). The more knowledgeable you are, the more likely they are to openly share information and take time to explain.

It can be very comforting to find someone, either in cyberspace or in person, that is in a similar situation (factor, cycle) that you can share stories and progress with.

Try to keep a very flexible schedule the week before the pregnancy test. Some people start their periods early and are stuck somewhere where they cannot just be alone and grieve.

Start taking a prenatal vitamin prior to your cycle. At the minimum, you should take 400mcg of folic acid daily for three months before conception to reduce neural tube defects such as spina bifida. The FDA suggests 800 mcg during pregnancy, so it is best to look for a prenatal with that amount.

Some clinics believe that a diet that is high in protein and low in salt and potassium can help you avoid hyperstimulation. Gatorade is a poor choice of fluid to drink to prevent/control hyperstimulation because it contains large quantities of salt. Water or Pedialyte is best, in quantities recommended by your RE. At a certain stage of OHSS, too much fluid can be detrimental.

Remember that some people get very uncomfortable and even have a lot of pain as the ovaries are stimulated. This may get worse as the follicles ripen. Loose clothing may help.

Don’t worry about your weight unless you are tracking it for hyperstimulation purposes. Unless you hyperstimulate, most of the weight gained during an IVF cycle usually disappears once your period starts and if you are lucky enough to get pregnant your weight won’t matter anyway!
If you are not taking birth control pills the cycle previous to your IVF, be sure to use birth control (no matter how ridiculous it may seem). Usually, you will start Lupron before you would know if you conceived or not and Lupron is very dangerous to a developing baby.

The extra fluid your developing follicles are taking up and being NPO before retrieval can sometimes cause constipation. Increasing your consumption of fiber and fluids as you approach egg retrieval may help alleviate this.

Don't talk to your partner too much about his role. This may cause him extra anxiety during an already stressful time and the extra stress can aggravate the performance anxiety that men suffer on the day of retrieval.

If this is your first IVF, be conservative about the number of blastocysts or embryos you transfer, especially if they are of very good quality. You may find that fertilization was your big hurdle and now that is complete you are on your way!

If you have had more than one failed IVF, consider changing clinics, especially if your doctor doesn’t have a change in protocol planned.
Remember that all cycles are not alike. Using the exact same protocol on another attempt even at the same clinic can lead to different results.
Some clinics use medications to prevent embryo rejection (low dose corticosteroids, etc.) which may help your chances of success. Check with your clinic to see if they think it would make a difference for you.

Always repeat the directions for medication to the nurse and get your E2 level. If something seems wrong or unclear, ask for clarification.Prior to the stimulation part of your cycle, make sure you and your partner discuss how many embryos or blastocysts you plan to transfer. (While remembering that your plan may have to change because of circumstances of the IVF!) If you think you will have extra embryos beyond what you want to transfer to avoid high order multiple risk, decide whether you will freeze them or discard them. Decide whether you would consider selective reduction. These are not things to discuss under pressure right before transfer!

POSITIVE THINKING AND DE-STRESSING HINTS
Try self-hypnosis tapes to keep your mind on warm and fuzzy thoughts.
Keep social contacts to a minimum.

Use the cycle as an opportunity to focus on yourself and on each other.
Try to relax and think positive.

For sanity sake, review the odds of success ahead of time. Some people try to stay as neutral as possible to avoid major ups and downs, others try to stay hopeful to help make all the procedures easier.

Try doing things to take your mind off the process. Visualization may just make the obsessing worse.Try to manage stress in whatever way works best for you. Some suggestions are relaxation or deep breathing exercises, yoga, or meditation.

EGG RETRIEVAL AND EMBRYO TRANSFER HINTS
You will probably need at least the day after your retrieval off of work. You may be in pain or you may just be tired and need the rest. Levels of pain post-retrieval vary from person to person. Some people may have little or no pain and others may have a lot of pain. Be prepared for both extremes.
Prior to retrieval, remind your partner (or the nurse if your partner isn’t there) to keep pressure on your IV site for you once it is removed (especially if you are taking baby aspirin or heparin). You will still be a bit woozy and may not remember.

Often the medication used for sedation for retrieval is one that causes amnesia, so don’t be worried if you cannot remember everything that happened. It is disconcerting, but not a problem. Remind your partner about this so that he doesn’t expect you to remember everything!
Some people have reported that the sedation used for retrieval can cause nightmares.

A heating pad on your belly may help with pain after egg retrieval.
If you are concerned about nausea during the retrieval, ask for something to stem nausea. A drug called Phenergan is a mild sedative and also will help keep you from vomiting or having nausea from other medications.

Have someone there to drive you back from retrieval and transfer.
Make sure that you tell them about any allergies. You may be given a narcotic pain killer afterwards. If you have problems with narcotic pain relievers, you can ask for a non-narcotic pain killer which may work just as well for you.

Eat a low fat diet for a few days before retrieval. Sometimes the embryos are stored in a vial of the mother’s blood, and they don't react well to fat (or is it lipids, or whatever), which can temporarily rise as a result of high dietary fat intake. (You can check with your clinic ahead of time to find out whether they use your blood or not.)

Some clinics suggest you avoid soaps, shampoos, and perfume on retrieval and transfer day as embryos can react poorly to odors.

Don’t wear fingernail polish to retrieval. Some clinics use a clip on your finger to read oxygen saturation levels during retrieval and fingernail polish will interfere with that.

Remember that not every follicle contains an egg, so don't be surprised if the number of eggs harvested is less or more than the number of follicles you've been watching develop.

If you have any significant pain within the first couple of days after retrieval, something may be wrong. LET YOUR CLINIC KNOW IMMEDIATELY! Some people have had a blood vessel nicked which led to internal bleeding so they had to go to the hospital for monitoring.

You may find it very hard to lay still for the required time after transfer (this varies some from clinic to clinic). You may want to bring extra pillows to make you comfortable, or some music to distract you.Many clinics aren't requiring *any* post-transfer rest, as recent studies indicate it has no impact in success rate. If it helps you feel like you are doing everything you can, rest as much as you feel necessary.Most clinics recommend you avoid the following after transfer: swimming, saunas, baths, intercourse, orgasms, lifting over 10 pounds, exercise that breaks out into a sweat. So, look forward to taking it easy!

© Copyright 1996, 2000, 2001 Rachel Browne

DEALING WITH IVF FAILURE

2008-02-10T22:33:00.000-08:00

Couples who undergo IVF treatment usually have very high expectations. There is a subconscious reluctance to admit that they might very well be among the unsuccessfully treated patients although it is still clear that failure is more likely than success.

IVF is an expensive and stressful experience which increases our expectations of the process. Expectations of success are considerably higher than the success rates quoted at their initial consultation.

The endpoint of IVF treatment, which is the transfer of two or sometimes three embryos into the uterus, is not the same as a pregnancy. There is a waiting period of about two weeks after the embryo transfer before it can be determined whether the woman has achieved pregnancy. This further increases the frustration of the process.

A success rate of 25-30% means that the failure rate is 75-85%. No one likes to think about failure when embarking on a new venture. There are very few medical programmes where emotions are so highly charged and where the failure rate consistently exceeds the success rate.

Treatment can fail at any stage: ovarian stimulation, egg collection, fertilization, cleavage and implantation. All that IVF demands of the person – financial, emotional, fear coupled with courage and determination potentates failure.

Any woman who decides to make the financial outlay for IVF and subject herself to the inconvenience of injecting herself everyday for up to three or four weeks expects to get pregnant from the process and the disappointment of failure becomes much more acute.

Two of the most traumatic points of failure are failure in fertilization and the return of the menses, which results from a failure in implantation. There is a feeling of isolation, confusion and helplessness and you ask, “what went wrong?”

Sometimes, one never really knows why it has failed despite the ‘good’ prognosis (relatively young age, normal uterus, high quality embryos transferred) but it is helpful to discuss with the doctor and embryologist who saw the embryos and can give an assessment. The unexplained situation is always the most difficult to bear. Failure is often easier to bear when we can pinpoint a reason for that failure.

A review of the treatment cycle by looking at the ways in which a couple responded to the drug stimulation: number of eggs collected, semen issues, fertilization and the grading of the embryos, etc., may give some clues as to how to adjust a repeat treatment.

After experiencing a failure, there is often considerable merit in delaying the decision to undergo a repeat cycle treatment.

If you have had more than one failed IVF, consider changing clinics, especially if your doctor doesn’t have a change in protocol planned.
Remember that all cycles are not alike. Using the exact same protocol on another attempt even at the same clinic can lead to different results. (Rachel Browne)

References:
‘The Bridge Clinic’s ‘Fertility Update’ September 2005 Vol No 3
‘Birthright,’ August 2005

IMMUNE SYSTEM AND IVF FAILURE

2008-02-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

IMMUNE TREATMENT ‘CUTS IVF FAILURES’

Suppressing the immune systems of women who suffer recurrent miscarriage may be able to allow many more to give birth.
The technique may also help those who suffer repeated IVF failures, or who cannot get pregnant, without an obvious reason why.

A leading US expert is presenting the results of his first, small scale study into a therapy at a UK conference on Monday, and these suggest it could be a highly successful approach - even among older patients.

Many thousands of women have unexplained infertility, suffer recurrent miscarriages, or cannot succeed with IVF, despite their young age and apparently good health.
Professor Alan Beer from Chicago Medical School, says that, in some cases, the problem may be an immune system which turns on the newly-implanted embryo and destroys it.

Although the father's genetic material is present in the embryo and on the surface of the placenta, the mother's body does not reject it.

However, in some cases, there is strong evidence that this process goes wrong.

Test and treat
He believes he has developed both a test for those women who are at risk - and a potential treatment to counter the problem.

Professor Beer concentrated on women who have suffered recurrent IVF failures, in which implanted fertilised embryos do not produce a successful pregnancy.

He found that seven out of ten women with three IVF failures had higher than normal levels of a chemical called tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha).

This is a product of a type of immune system cell called a natural killer cell, and is responsible for damage to tissues in "autoimmune" diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease.

Professor Beer's theory is that the immune system is also attacking the embryo in women with recurrent miscarriage, saying that the body was treating the embryo "like a cancer".

Existing drugs
There are existing medications used to reduce levels of TNF alpha in the body - but these are currently only licensed to treat established auto-immune disorders.

In trials involving 100 patient who had all suffered repeated IVF failures, he found that 78% of those under 35 years old managed to become pregnant.

Even a significant proportion of those aged 40 and above managed to get pregnant this way.

The treatment has so far produced 80 live births.
Professor Beer said: "It's like when you find the correct area code and you connect the telephone call - these healthily infertile women proved to me that their bodies were made to have babies.
"The breakthrough was to find what component of the immune system was doing the killing - and then reduce that component to normal levels."

'Astonishing'
Dr Simon Thornton, from Nottingham's Care in the Park clinic, said: "A third of our patients have an unexplained infertility.
"Professor Beer suggests that an abnormally active immune system is blocking pregnancy or acting to stop it from developing.
He has shown astonishing success rates in patients who would have otherwise had very very low success rates.
"At present, we use IVF as a treatment for many patients who have unexplained infertility - but this may be a much more straightforward treatment to allow them to have a perfectly successful pregnancy."

Dr Mohammed Taranissi, from the Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre, told the BBC that the results, although small-scale, were "impressive".
He said: "It's something we have suspected for a long time.
"Now we have to see whether we can apply a drug which has been developed for another problem for infertility problems."

SOURCE: BBC NEWS

FREE IVF TREATMENT

2008-02-10T22:28:00.000-08:00

FREE IVF TREATMENT
The cost of a cycle of IVF treatment ranges between N500, 000 – 900,000.00, an amount out of the reach of many couples and unfortunately there is no government funding in Nigeria at the moment. However it is possible to benefit from free IVF treatment if you fall within certain criteria.

Free treatment is available to a woman who VOLUNTARILY shares some of her collected eggs with another infertile couple. The eggs will be shared only if the number of eggs you produce are sufficient so you do not lose out. You may be required to bear just the cost of the initial test/assessment that will indicate if you are suitable for the treatment.The receiving couple may however bear this cost in which case you do not have to pay anything at all. This arrangement varies with each clinic

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS AND CRITERIA FOR FREE TREATMENT:

You should be aged between 19 and 34.
Weigh less than 85kg.
Have regular menstrual cycles.
Have 2 ovaries.
Have had a maximum of 2 previous failed IVF attempts and not less than 6 collected eggs in each of these cycles.
Have an FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) level of less than 9.0 when measured between day 2 and 6 of your natural menstrual cycle.
Have an LH (Luteinizing Hormone) level of less than 10 when taken at the same time as above.
Do not have significant fibroids or polycystic ovaries (PCO).

IVF: BRINGING JOY INTO THE LIVES OF THE INFERTILES

2008-01-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

Bringing joy into the lives of the infertiles

In medical profession, Dr. Adewunmi Adeyemi Bero, the Managing Director of The Roding Medical Centre, Lagos, is a pioneer. The medical practitioner is a solid advocate in new technology to foster the growth and development of medicine. He is making waves both in his practice and as a medical entrepreneur with a technology known as Assisted Conception Technology. With this technology, his organization has brought joy and hope into the lives of barren women and infertile men.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

At the beginning, the IVF method was used to treat tubal blockage. The method is now most commonly used of the assisted reproductive technologies (ART). It is often known as the ‘test tube baby’ procedure, and has helped infertile couples conceive and bear children for well over two decades. It is essentially to stimulate women who cannot ovulate with fertility drugs and injections to produce eggs.

Qualified couples

Couples who qualify for the IVF are men with a normal sperm count and women with blocked tubes. Dr. Bero advocates the method when the cause of infertility is inexplicable and where insemination has failed. (men with low sperm count will benefit from ICSI where just a single sperm is used for IVF)

What Roding does

We look after women and children. When you look after women, infertility is part of it and we want to have a solution to every.Problem a woman comes with. We want to have a solution to every problem a child comes with – that is what we’ve been doing for the past eight years. Men also come. So, we sometime take care of the husbands too.

Challenges

Like any other business you embark on in this country, there is no infrastructure. You have to create your own constant power supply. You have to ensure water runs constantly. Here we open 24 hours and we ensure that there is constant power supply every second. I can tell you that our diesel bill every month is about N700, 000. That money should be profit and not spent it on things like this. What should be your profit you spend to ensure that you have all necessary infrastructures to deliver your services. The other problem is that a lot of our doctors don’t want to stay in Nigeria because they don’t earn good income. So, all of them travel out. The issue is that there is a personnel manpower problem in Nigeria. There were never enough doctors to start up with. So, the ones that are properly trained or are still undergoing training have all left. They are in UK, America, Europe. The ones that are still here are planning to go.

Government subsidy

For instance, I don’t know of any initiative from government that subsidizes the procurement of equipment for hospitals. If you go to a bank that you want to purchase medical equipment, they will tell you the equipment is too specialized. They are more ready to lease generator to you or a vehicle to you than medical equipment and you cannot blame them. So, to buy equipment one has to go and look for money at very huge cost to buy equipment when there should be some subsidy somewhere that encourages outlets to lease their equipment. I know it’s coming because we are getting there gradually.

The National Health Insurance Scheme

That’s a big problem now because there is a new dispensation in the field of medicine that is called ‘The National Health Insurance Scheme’. The health managers are like brokers who go out and collect business. They go to companies to collect business like reaching an agreement with you that for an amount of money in a year, they will manage the health need of your staff and they negotiate the tariff with you. All the companies are finding it cheaper to operate that way because they can actually budget the health needs of their staffs on annual basis so marketing really is becoming unnecessary because you are going to market for these same corporate people. Even individuals too are also learning that it is cheaper for them to go to these managers either as families or use their workplace so that they can assess hospitals and they don’t have to pay from their pockets.

Starting an IVF unit

When setting up a medical center, it’s not only the IVF equipment that you have to consider. You have to consider some other issues like two generators. You don’t need to have a mighty building for an IVF unit. You can even just rent a flat but it’s the infrastructure that matters. Like anything you want to do in Nigeria, you have to provide your own infrastructure which is what increases the cost. You have to sink a borehole. You have to put tanks everywhere just to ensure you can store enough water for your needs. Its not only the equipment you have to take into consideration, sometimes you find out that the money you spend for your infrastructure is even more than the cost of the equipment.

Spiritual and medical conflict

There is a conflict between spiritual and some aspects of medicine. The conflict essentially causes we waste of many years because when you look at the woman, her fertile years are not long. When she starts approaching 40, she begins to have fertility problems because she will not be ovulating as regularly or if she ovulates, the eggs will not be of good quality. Medical solution is minor if you are in the right place, and take the right course with prayers. All will work together.
IVF awareness We reach out to couples let them know that there are places that can make them pregnant. Like I said, there will be more IVF units. The whole idea is just that the more units we have, the more awareness we create. The more you have couples coming out early to seek medical intervention for their problems rather than other types of intervention. We all go to the same medical conferences. It is basically the same attitude, the approach may be slightly different but the service is the same. The only thing we are trying to do is to make it cheaper for young couples to come into the programme with us.

Success rate

The success rate of IVF is between 20 and 35 percent. That is in most units across board. May be If you are in America where there is no electricity supply problem, no environmental pollution where younger couples can come into the programme early because they can afford it, you will get success rate of 35% in some units. But here in this part of the world, you tend to see older couples and there is a problem of infrastructure even in spite of that, the pregnancies are there.

THE ABC OF IVF (II) - Everything you need to know about test tube treatment

2008-01-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF): This is the procedure classically known as the test tube baby technique. There are five stages to IVF as follows:

1. Down regulation:
So called because the woman is given drugs (such as Buserelin or Naferelin) which shut down her ovaries so her cycle can be carefully controlled. This will put her into a temporary menopause.

You can have an injection of the drug once a day in your buttock or thigh. They can be given by a nurse or your partner – or you can do it yourself. If you are squeamish about needles you can use a nasal spray to inhale the drug several times a day but this is more expensive than injections. You do this for two to three weeks. But be warned – you will feel as if you have PMT to a factor of ten.

2. Egg production:
You then add a second injection of drug called human menopausal gonadrotophin (HMG), a hormone highly purified after being taken from pregnant women’s urine, or FSH. This stimulates the ovaries to produce several egg-containing follicles rather than the one that would happen naturally. During this process you will be carefully monitored by ultrasound and will feel quite bloated but not as bad-tempered as in Stage One.

3. Egg collection:
When the follicles reach the right size and maturity you will be given an injection of human chorionic gonadatrophin (HCG). This mimics the surge in hormone which normally triggers ovulation. Thirty-five hours later the eggs are collected, either by laparoscopy or via the vagina, before they have the chance to move down the Fallopian tubes naturally.

The operation is carried out under general anesthetic or vaginally under sedation and may leave you feeling sore. The more eggs that are collected, the more painful it can be but it increases the likelihood of success.

4. Fertilisation:
At the same time the eggs are collected, the man has to provide a sperm sample. The eggs and top-quality sperm (200,000 sperm per egg) are placed in a glass dish by an embryologist. If successful, fertilization will take place within 24 to 48 hours and throughout this period you will be feeling tearful and anxious.

5. Embryo transfer:
The two best quality (fertilized eggs) are put back into the womb via a catheter. You may be offered progesterone to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

This experience is an emotional rollercoaster. You and your partner will have an anxious two-week wait to find out whether the embryos have become implanted and you are pregnant.

Unfortunately, hormone levels caused by the drugs can make you feel pregnant even if you are not. So if you are unsuccessful the arrival of your period can be even more devastating than normal. Success rates on average are 25 per cent per cycle.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI): This is a way of fertilizing eggs by injecting a single healthy sperm into an egg by using a glass needle that is one-fourteenth of the thickness of a human hair.

As with IVF, the woman takes a course of drugs before collection of the egg. ICSI is used where the man has a low sperm count or fertilization is a problem. It costs (£5,000) about N700,000 which includes IVF treatment and the drugs you need.

FOR MORE ARTICLES ON IVF, CLICK ON http://www.invitrofertilisation.blogspot.com

THE ABC OF IVF- Everything you need to know about test tube treatment

2008-01-20T23:37:00.000-08:00

WHEN TRYING FOR A BABY, HOW LONG SHOULD I WAIT BEFORE I WORRY ABOUT NOT GETTING PREGNANT?
It is very difficult to be specific. One in five women falls pregnant within a month of starting to try.
After six months of having sex without contraception, seven out of ten women have conceived.
After a year, approximately 85 per cent of women will be pregnant and after two years, the figure is 95 per cent.

AT WHAT STAGE SHOULD COUPLES FAILING TO CONCEIVE DECIDE TO SEE A DOCTOR?
Most doctors will not send you for tests until you have been trying for at least a year. Unless you have a specific medical problem.
Women under 35: it is reasonable to try to get pregnant for 12 to 18 months before going to see the doctor.
Women over 35: Seek help after six to 12 months because fertility treatment success rates decline quite rapidly with age.

WHAT CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT MY FERTILITY?
Women: Lack of periods and irregular periods. Pelvic surgery (burst appendix, for example), pelvic infections and sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia,, very heavy and painful periods.
Men: Testicles didn’t drop when you were a child, visible varicose veins on your scrotum, surgery such as hernia repair, trauma, or a sexually transmitted infection.

WHAT EFFECT DOES AGE HAVE ON A WOMAN’S FERTILITY?
Natural fertility begins to decline when a woman is in her late twenties and her chance of conceiving declines more rapidly each year.
At the age of 35 women are about half as fertile as they were at the age of 25, and by the age of 40 they are about half as fertile as they were at 35.

DOES A MAN’S AGE AFFECT HIS FERTILITY?
Men produce sperm well into their seventies but the quality of it deteriorates after they are about 45.

WHAT FERTILITY TESTS ARE THERE FOR WOMEN?
Ovulation Test: The majority of women who have regular periods will be ovulating (releasing an egg each month). The usual test for ovulation is a blood test. This measures the level of the hormone progesterone and the blood sample is taken a week before a period is due.
A further blood test: If a woman is over 35 and has been trying for more than two years, or has irregular cycles, a blood test between days three and five of her menstrual cycle is helpful. This measures the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). If the level of FSH is raised this may be a sign that she is about to start the menopause.
Tubal potency: An x-ray called hysterosalpingography (HSG) can tell if the Fallopian tubes are blocked or damaged. It is done in hospital or laboratories and takes about 20 minutes. The patient does not need a general anaesthetic but the procedure can be painful.
Doctors also test your tubes with ultrasound, using a special fluid to show up any blockages.
Ultrasound scans: These can pick up problems in the womb such as fibroids (fibrous lumps) and measure the lining of the womb. This needs to be thick if you want to get pregnant.
A scan can also measure the development of follicles – sacs which contain eggs – in the ovaries to see if they are growing properly, to check for polycystic ovaries (PCO) or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Too many cysts on your ovaries can affect fertility. IVF success rates for women with PCO are very high.
Laparoscopy: This procedure is usually carried out under general anaesthetic. A tiny camera is inserted through the belly button to view the uterus and dye is inserted into the cervix to check the fallopian tubes for blockages.
This test is offered to women who have risk factors such as pelvic inflammatory disease or blocked tubes, a history of endometriosis or Chlamydia, women over 35, or those who have been trying for a baby for more than two years.

WHAT ARE THE TESTS FOR MEN?
Sperm test or semen analysis: Analysis of a sample can discover sperm concentration (sperm count), the motility of sperm (swimming ability) and the morphology of sperm (shape and structure). It can also identify infections and antibodies.

WHAT FERTILITY TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?
Intra-uterine Insemination (IUI): This is worth trying before you go for IVF, especially if sperm quality is below average or you have “unexplained infertility” which is where no medical reason for failure to conceive can be found. It is often used to insert donor sperm and it is only suitable for women with healthy fallopian tubes.
A woman’s cycle is monitored to predict the day that her egg will be released and drugs may be used to stimulate the ovaries to produce more than one egg in the normal menstrual cycle. Sperm is then inserted into the womb at ovulation using a catheter (this has been called the turkey-blasting method) which maximizes the chances of fertilization taking place.

Success rates vary between 12 and 15 percent per cycle, depending on a woman’s age but after six cycles of the treatment more than six out of ten patients will have become pregnant.

'MOST NIGERIAN COUPLES ARE INFERTILE' Dr. Tunde Okewale

2008-01-20T23:34:00.000-08:00

Dr. Tunde Okewale, consultant obstetrician and Gynaecologist, St. Ives IVF and fertility unit, speaks on Infertility and assisted form of conception, IVF

Q: What is IVF all about?

A: IVF means intro vitro fertilization: that is, the conception and the fertilisation takes place in the test tube. That is why it is called test tube baby. The first recorded success was in the United Kingdom in 1978. And the name of the baby is Louise Brown. A few months later other cases were recorded in India, Canada, America among others.

Test tube baby, the local parlance that IVF is known for, is a form of treatment for infertile couples.The indications for it are where there is low sperm count or no sperm count. Traditionally, it is used for women whose tubes are blocked. As we all know, the tube is necessary for sperm and egg to meet and when there is a blockage, this becomes impossible.IVF bypasses the tube, we bring out the egg and the sperm, fertilize them in the laboratory (the so-called test tube) and after the embryo is formed, we return it to the womb.Over time, the indications have expanded. Initially, it was just for blocked tubes but we use it in cases of unexplained infertility. There are some people that have tried and tried and they cannot just get pregnant.

Q: What are the risk(s) involved?

A: The risks are not much. But the greater risk is failure. This can be very devastating. For one, the cost of treatment is high and when it does not succeed, everybody is upset, including the doctors and the patient. So with this, there is a psychological risk attached. That is why in most IVF hospitals, we have psychology department, where they offer counselling.Also, because the woman needs to have her eggs stimulated, there is the risk of hyper stimulation syndrome whereby sometimes, we have excessive eggs. But they are minimal risks, since the woman will be closely monitored.

Q: Specifically, what has been the success rate in your hospital, St. Ives?

A: We calculate the success rate in two ways: the pregnancy and the take home babies. It is possible to have baby but not take home as in case of still birth. Our success rate so far is 50 per cent. As you are aware, we started the IVF unit in July and we have three on-going pregnancies. Since July, we have three cycles and the pregnancies are about 18 weeks, and we have new ones that have just tested positive, but until the pregnancies grow, we would not make any noise.The success rate varies from hospital to hospital, some 25 per cent to 50 per cent. Over 60 per cent rate was recorded in India. You may ask why?

Q: What are the factors militating against the success rate?

A: The patient selection is important. The older one is, the less one has chances. For any woman above the age of 35 years, the chances are slim. Unfortunately in our environment the women that present themselves for IVF, after testing all other avenues, are in their 40s, most of the time. Another factor is the setup, the incubator, quality control et cetera. The number of embryos that are returned and the more embryos that are returned, the more chances that pregnancy will occur.

Q: How many embryos can one get?

A: When a woman is stimulated you can bring out like 10 eggs. When the egg is fertilized and one gets 10 embryos, you can return all the 10. Everything has its own guidelines. In the United Kingdom, you cannot return more than two embryos. In India and other developed parts of the world the accepted maximum you can return is four. The more you return, the higher the chance.

Q: Are there chances of multiple birth through IVF?

A: Yes, it is possible. But the reason we do not put more than four is that after twins, if you have triplets or more, the risk to the mother increases.The higher the multiple of pregnancies, the higher the risk that the babies would not survive. We can have premature ones among them.

Q: You mentioned something about the cost and we feel it is for the rich in the society

A: The cost really has nothing to do with it. The setup alone is a very high intensive unit and it costs a lot. That is why you would not find many hospitals doing IVF. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars. To have a decent setup, one of the instruments we use, micro-manipulator on its own cost N950,000. The media you will use, that is the culture medium, is also expensive.What has been happening is that the more the number of people that offer themselves for IVF, the more there are clinics and the more the companies that produce the media will come into the country. At present there are none.We have to import all what we need and these cost more.For instance, in India and America there are many clinics and there is a lot of competition. All the disposables that we use are from India. But what we have in St. Ives, our cost is still the cheapest.The reason is, part of the things that inflate the IVF cost are unnecessary investigations before IVF is finally arrived at. IVF is a straightforward technology procedure, but there are so many things that surround it.

Q: What are these investigations?

A: For most infertile couples, when they come to hospital, doctors would write down the list of investigations to conduct. Most of the investigations do not have anything to do with the success of the IVF or not. Most of the investigations would have been done by the patient somewhere else. But we will still tell them to do it. You find out that infertile couples go around doing the same set of tests and everybody pretends as if they are doing something. All these add an extra cost. If you come to St. Ives and you have done some of the investigations in the last one year, we offer you direct, what is necessary for you in the procedure.The media you use for IVF is just for one individual and the person has to pay for it.

Q: On the average, what does it really cost?

A: Let me give you a comparative cost, in the United Kingdom it is $4,000 to $6,000. In America $10,000 to $25,000. In St. Ives, excluding the cost of the drugs, it is N250,000. In other IVF clinics around, it costs about N500,000 to N600,000.The cost of drugs is from N70,000 depending on the drugs.Q: Many of the people that have undergone this treatment do not open up about it. Why is this so?A: Yes, but when we have our first test tube next year; we would want the people to know. Every IVF clinic has the right to celebrate their success. Maybe in the past, they didn't, but I think the level of enlightenment is now making women to come out and say it.

I think the problem in Nigeria is that we need more clinics. There are so many infertile couples around.Nigeria’s case is an unusual one. For instance, in United Kingdom, in 1978, after the first test tube baby, there have been transfer of skills internally and there are thousands of IVF clinics in the United Kingdom now. Nigeria announced it in the 80s, it happened at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH. The strange thing is that there is no massive transfer of skills. In fact, LUTH is not offering IVF clinic currently. No teaching hospital in Nigeria offers it apart from the University of Benin, which has just started.You can count the number of IVF clinics on the tips of your fingers. It is over 20 years.

Q: What is the hope of low-income infertile couples?

A: In the United Kingdom, you can either have your IVF privately or go to government hospitals. If LASUTH is offering IVF, the waiting list may be long, but it will be at a reasonable cost.Government has the power and financial capacity to import these equipment. What we try to do for the low-income earners is shared programme. Where an egg of a 48-year old is not okay but needs IVF and can afford it, and there is a 28-year old who also wants IVF, but cannot afford and has good eggs, the 48-year old would pay for the treatment, though they are both unknown to each other. Likewise in the case of sperm donor.

Q: Can a woman who undergoes IVF breast-feed?

A: Yes, the only thing is that fertilization occurs in the laboratory. We return the embryo and it continues to growth.

Q: So what are the causes of infertility?

A: First we need to know how conception occurs. There are five requirements for conception. Good quality and quantity sperm, sperm must enter the vagina at the right time of the month, so the woman must know her fertile period. The womb must be able to accept and keep the pregnancy. Nothing should disturb the pregnancy in the womb like fibroid.

The tubes of the woman must be open, so that the eggs and sperm can meet. And the woman must be producing quality eggs every month.Out of the requirements, you will discover that four concern women and it is only one that concerns men. If you see anybody that is pregnant, you must know that all the five requirements have been fulfilled. These requirements can be linked to causes of infertility like no sperm count or low-sperm count, fibroid, wombs gummed together, quality eggs not produced, damaged tubes and stress. All these can cause infertility.Sometimes, we have unexplained infertility. We check all the five requirements and everything is well, yet pregnancy does not occur.

CULLED FROM PM NEWS 8TH NOVEMBER 2007

LAGOS HOSPITAL, CENTRE TO REDUCE COST OF TEST-TUBE BABIES

2008-01-20T23:30:00.000-08:00

Worried by the increasing cost and failure rate of Assisted Reproductive Technique (ART), In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), otherwise known as test-tube baby technology in the country, the Medical Art Centre, Ikeja and the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital (LIMH) have joined forces to reduce the cost of obtaining a successful IVF treatment.

ALL ABOUT IN VITRO FERTILISATION OR TEST TUBE BABIES

2008-01-20T23:28:00.000-08:00

One of the major problems facing so many married couples today is inability to to get pregnant.

"INFERTILITY: PART OF THE PROBLEM IS, MANY COUPLES DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO GO AND GET HELP'

2008-01-20T23:25:00.000-08:00

"God has done it again! He made it possible one more time! My God has done it again! I feel elated and accomplished."

HIGHS AND LOWS OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION

2008-01-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

New machines are introduced with some regularity to help infertile couples to conceive. The ground-breaking one was the In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) which saw the birth of baby Louise in England in 1978. She is now 28 years old, has become a mother herself, and is in relatively good health.

WITH ASSISTED CONCEPTION, IT'S GOODBYE TO CHILDLESSNESS

2008-01-20T23:20:00.001-08:00

Willie Enyioma and his wife, Anthonia, both come from the Southeast of Nigeria. They met as students in the 80s at a university in the Southwest.

HOW I ASSIST MEN TO IMPREGNATE THEIR WIVES-Bobo Kayode, fertility expert and sperm banker

2008-01-20T23:17:00.000-08:00

Mrs Bobo Kayode, Nigeria's first female embryologist and pioneer sperm banker, is playing a unique role on life's stage.

'CHLAMYDIA INFECTION IS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF INFERTILITY IN NIGERIA'

2008-01-20T23:14:00.000-08:00

In recent times, there has been an increase in cases of childless couples in Nigeria despite the attendant proliferation of fertility clinics.

BRIDGE CLINIC: MANAGING THE CONSTRAINTS OF INFERTILITY

2008-01-20T23:11:00.000-08:00

"Initially it was like a joke. My husband pleaded with me to see reason and to believe in God, even though I was scared not knowing what the outcome would be.