IVF- New seeds of hope

Childlessness can be a very distressing period for couples yearning for a child of their own. The anxiety that comes with anticipation when trying for a baby can be very strenuous. In India, the importance attributed to fertility as the foundation of a fruitful marriage is irrefutable. However, the good news is that indefatigable amount of research is being done to make IVF a more fail-safe option for those who opt for it. Distraught couples need not fret after few failed IVF attempts, as researchers have found that prolonging IVF treatment can substantially increase chances of conception. This development might be very reassuring for many couples, but undergoing treatment repeatedly might be discomforting for some, when it comes to costs and time it takes to sustain treatment for a very long time.

When asked about how many IVF cycles should one go through as part of their treatment, Dr. Sonia Malik, Director, Southend Fertility & IVF, said, “The number of IVF cycles that a couple should go through before giving up is not fixed . It is different for different patients and it is always an individualized approach depending on many factors like patients’ psychological strength, financial condition etc. It may vary from 3 to 4 cycles on an average but again it is very individualized.”
As far as health issues one should take into consideration before commencing IVF treatment is concerned, Dr. Sonia Malik said, “There are many health issues which should be addressed before one starts IVF treatment specially women issues like history of breast/gynecological cancers in the family or the patient herself or any other medical risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, h/o thromboembolism, h/o fibrodenosis, migraines to name a few which makes it a contradiction for any hormones sp estrogens to be given. It is very important that the patient is counseled correctly.”

A new IVF treatment that allows the egg to be fertilized inside the woman’s body rather than a lab is being offered to IVF hopefuls in the UK. The method requires inserting a capsule containing egg and sperms for 24 hours inside for embryo to develop. This procedure uses a 1cm long and 1mm wide device called AneVivo during the procedure. The doctors choose the healthiest embryos to be implanted into the lining of the womb for it to develop. Such a procedure leaves lesser chances of exposure to synthetic culture fluids in a lab, where it develops into a healthy fetus. Moreover, this would substantially reduce psychological impact of the treatment. UK’s fertility watchdog has approved of this treatment, but according to Dr. Sonia Malik, such a procedure is still in experimental and trial stage in India.
Speaking on inhibitions couples come with before approaching IVF specialists are unfounded but aplenty according to Dr. Sonia Malik. She said, “The most common inhibition is the change of gametes by mistake. Others are:
• Any long term health issues sp increase in incidence of cancers in the long run.
• Any abnormality in the child born through this process
• Whether their confidentiality would be maintained or not
• To take injections on a daily basis is troublesome for few
• Whether the entire process sp the ovum pick up and embryo transfer is going to be painful.”