Explain the treatments available to help infertile couples have children.

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Hasina 11SD                                                                                                      18/06/2007

Explain the treatments available to help infertile couples have children

        

        Infertility treatment is an alternative way of having babies for couples who are unable to conceive a child naturally, so therefore they rely on a number of different options, which will help them. There are a number of different treatments available, In vitro fertilisation (IVF), Gamete intrafallopian transfer, and Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, the use of donated eggs or sperm and surrogacy. Medical technology has provided ovary solutions, which are known as embryo technology. The world’s first test tube baby was Louise brown, she was born in the U.K in 1978. Her birth offered hope infertile couples across the world. Since then, thousands of couples have made use of In vitro fertilisation and other assisted conception techniques.

        In Vitro fertilisation eggs are gathered from the woman’s ovaries, which is then mixed with the man’s sperm in a dish, in the laboratory. ‘In Vitro’ is a Latin term meaning ‘in glass’. It refers to the glass container in the laboratory where fertilisation takes place, a popular name for this treatment is ‘a test tube baby’. What happens is that, the woman is given fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries to develop several mature eggs for fertilisation. The women are closely monitored when they are on these drugs because some of the drugs have strong side effects. The doctor can then perceive when the eggs are mature by monitoring the blood level hormone of the women, on an ultrasound. When the eggs are ready to be retrieved, the doctor will remove them using a fine hollow needle. The eggs are then combined with the partner’s sperm in a dish containing a nutrient, which is then refined in an incubator. Two days later any fertilised eggs will become a ball of cells called an embryo, two or three embryos are transferred into the uterus through the cervix with a thin catheter. In a successful cycle one or more embryos will implant in the uterine wall and continue to grow. A pregnancy test can be then taken after two weeks.  The success rate varies greatly depending on the particular fertility problem and the age, younger women usually have healthier eggs and higher success rates. The advantages of using IVF are it has been around for a long time and so far no medical problems have been linked with IVF. The disadvantages are the fertility drugs have strong side effects and there is a high chance of having twins.

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        Gamete Intrfallopian Transfer (GIFT), this is similar to IVF the difference is that it is the Gametes (eggs and sperm) which are transferred to the woman’s fallopian tubes rather than the mixture of eggs and sperm, so fertilisation happens inside the woman’s body. The embryo can begin its earliest development in the natural surroundings of the body, rather than in an artificial environment. Fertility drugs are given to the woman to stimulate the ovaries so that several mature eggs can be developed for fertilisation. When the eggs are mature, the doctor removes them from the ovaries using a fine hollow ...

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