Mrs. Funmi Akinade, a 62-year-old woman has given birth to a baby boy. The woman gave birth at a private hospital in Lagos after 31 years in marriage without a child.
The News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the baby was conceived through In Vitro
Fertilisation (IVF) and delivered on Tuesday via caesarian section at 37 weeks.
The baby was
born at the StrongTower Hospital and Advanced Fertility Centre, a Lagos-based
private medical facility.
Akinade told
NAN on Thursday in Lagos that she married in 1992 but never had a child.
Akinade said
that she went through a series of gynecological treatments, including three
previous IVF procedures that failed.
She said that
the fourth IVF became successful and her husband had been supportive, adding
that both of them remained optimistic that God would give them a child.
“This is my
fourth IVF attempt, but the others were not in this hospital.
“When someone
is looking for fruit of the womb, the
person will be moving from one hospital or gynecologist to another, undergoing
series of gynecological investigations and treatments,” she said.
Akinade said
that all through the years she was looking for a child, she had strong faith in
God.
“Even when I
felt it was aready too late to be possible, God in His infinite mercy made it
possible for me in my lifetime. I return all glory to Him.
“Two major
factors that kept motivating me all along are my husband’s support and one particular
book that I usually read,” Akinade said.
Akinade
advised couples desiring children not to give up but trust in God while seeking
the right medical attention.
She identified
finance as a major challenge encountered while looking for fruit of the womb,
saying that fertility treatments were expensive.
She called on
governments to subsidise the cost of IVF
and other fertility procedures for the
sake of poor couples.
“Fertility
treatment is quite expensive – whether
IVF or whatever. A lot of couples out there are childless and do not
have the financial capacity to go for them,” she said.
Dr Ayodele
Ademola, a Consultant Gynecologist, who delivered the baby, said that a
woman above 62 years could still
conceive through IVF or other innovative methods of assisted pregnancy.
Ademola, also
the Medical Director of the hospital,
said that many couples without children could still have, with the right
medical care.
According to
him, the major challenges most people have with IVF are the financial
involvement and the fear that it can fail.
“Even if the
IVF fails, there are other innovative methods of assisted pregnancy to offer,
including surrogacy – that’s bringing another person to carry the pregnancy in
situations where the woman is unable to carry it.
“Aside the
surrogacy approach, there are other advanced methods.
“Our motive is
to achieve that desired result and ensure that the woman is happy, satisfied
and gets value for the money spent.
“Regarding the
controversy about whether old women can conceive, there are advanced innovative
methods through which they can be helped to have babies,” Ademola said.
According to
Ademola, StrongTower Hospital started carrying
out IVF procedure since 2014 and has recorded successful stories.
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