IVF baby marks first birthday at UITH centre

This birthday marked in the premises of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, (UITH), Ilorin, Kwara State was unique. It was the first birthday of Baby Aishat Adeola Oladipo, born via the In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) at the hospital’s facility.

Born to Asimu Oladipo, 63 years of age and Mrs. Muinat Oladipo, 48, both from Kishi in Oyo State, the parents of Aisha said they would be the greatest ingrates not to appreciate God’s kind gestures to them.

Therefore, though the father could not be part of the entourage, Aisha’s mother, in company of the ‘miracle baby’ and other well wishers came to the UITH, on Thursday March 24, 2016 for the birthday celebrations.

According to Dr. Lukman Omokanye, the head of the IVF centre of the UITH, though Aishat would not be the first baby to be produced by the assisted reproductive procedures, “her mother specifically wanted the birthday celebration here for reasons best known to her.”

Bubbling with life and energy, little Aishat burst to tears as her mother brought her into the sprawling waiting chamber of the centre. She had no memory of the fact that her journey into life actually commenced there, when her parents came into the centre for help.

She probably cried not because of the many eyes on her, including those of the Chief Medical Director of the UITH, Professor Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, the Director of Administration of the hospital, Ganiyu Yusuf and Omokanye, but because she needed to give hope to others at the centre awaiting their own day of joy.

According to the testimonies of Mrs. Oladipo, “I was a barren woman for over 18 years. In the process, I visited countless hospitals, especially private ones, spending all my resources looking for a child, but to no avail.

“I got married to my husband a virgin, and I became worried trying to unveil the source of my barrenness. To worsen my situation, I joined the team of women in menopause. So, the hope became shattered, but my spirit was high, especially in God. Some gynaecologists, specifically, told me to go and adopt a baby, until I met Professor Olayinka Balogun, the Head of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of the UITH, who referred me to the IVF centre of the UITH.”

She sobbed intermittently as she continued, “Aishat is the baby of this hospital. I am using this opportunity to tell people that from my recent past experience, there is nothing too difficult for God to do. I thank the CMD, Dr. Omokanye, all the nurses and other staff of this hospital for standing by me. I am grateful to God for rewriting the story of my life.”

Olatinwo, while stating the importance of the IVF said he conceived the idea some months ago to alleviate the stress and pains of many couples with challenges of conception. Olatinwo, moved by emotions, sobbed and urged many couples, especially the indigent ones, to patronise the centre as the management has put in place measures to augment the cost.

FOR the CMD, the IVF have accounted for about 30 per cent of pregnancies in the world since its successful experiment some 35 years ago, adding that UITH has succeeded in swelling the number of the success story.

Besides, he believed that through the IVF, the nation could strengthen its exchange rate position. According to him, two Nigerians resident in United Kingdom were recently delivered of their babies through the UITH IVF facilities.

Observing that men and women could have equal percentage of infertility, the hospital boss advised marriageable men to shun the usage of nylon pants that could reduce the volume of their sperms formation, just as he counselled spinsters or married women against insertion of corrosive materials into their birth canals.

He added, “female circumcision should be totally shunned. Pre-marital sex should be discouraged so that unwanted pregnancies could be avoided. Besides, the use of drugs during pregnancies should be moderated by the experts to avoid tampering with organs formation.”

The hospital boss commended the staff of the IVF clinic, especially their head of operations Dr. Omokanye for their dedication to duty, as “there is no holiday at the unit because they are expected to render 24 hours services at all times.”

Omokanye, while urging more patronage of the centre, said late conception in marriages should not be linked with the activities of witchcraft, but that of biological defects that could be corrected.