Invitro fertilized babies play together in reunion
Invitro fertilized babies play together in reunion
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta
Saturday morning last week was a special moment for the Yogyakarta-based Dr. Sardjito Hospital's infertility clinic, Permata Hati.
More than 10 years after introducing the invitro-fertilization program at the clinic, the day saw the return of some of the babies that it had helped create through the once-controversial method.
"The main idea of bringing the children here today is that we want to intensively monitor their physical and psychological growth," obstetrician and gynecologist Amino Rahardjo of the clinic said.
Although babies born through invitro-fertilization, or bayi tabung as it is popularly called here, are theoretically the same as those born though normal fertilization, the clinic sees it as to important to monitor their progress.
"So far we have helped the births of 19 babies through invitro-fertilization. However, official data about the growth rate of these babies is not yet available," Amino said. Monitoring so far had been only "partially" or informally conducted, he said.
"So far, as far as we can see, all the babies are in good condition and have enjoyed good growth," he said.
Embryologist Ita Fauziah said what made a baby born through an invitro-fertilization different from one born through sexual intercourse was only the way the woman's eggs and father's semen were mixed.
In invitro-fertilization, an embryologist fertilizes the mother's egg in an incubator before it is re-implanted in the mother's womb, and the rest of the process including the pregnancy, the growth of the fetus and the delivery, continues normally.
"After they are born, they grow the same way as other babies," Ita said.
The process, which can allow some couples who would otherwise be childless to have children, has certainly caused many people happiness if the reunion was anything to go by.
The smiling faces of Siti Makrufah and husband Sarjiyo as he held onto his 18-month-old daughter, Neyla Aisha Yumna, were evidence enough.
The check-up was integrated into a toddlers' birthday party theme, with balloons and other baby attractions. About a dozen babies participated in the reunion, which was also a data- collecting activity for the clinic.
"I'm glad that we finally decided to have the invitro- fertilization treatment here," said Makrufah, who joined the program after trying for 11 years to have a child.
"We had undergone countless programs, both medical and non- medical ones, before joining the bayi tabung program here, but all (earlier programs) ended up failing," recalled Makrufah, whose husband was diagnosed as having "weak-swimming" semen.
Even at Permata Hati, she said, it was also only after some two years of consultation that she was finally introduced to the bayi tabung program after trying a series of planned pregnancy programs.
The invitro-fertilization program, Amino said, was generally only recommended after all simpler and cheaper measures had been tried.
In the case of 33-year-old Fatma Rosyati, doctors found her ovaries had no ducts. The clinic provided her with two options, undergoing surgery to create the needed ducts or having invitro- fertilization. Fatma and her husband chose the latter.
"We at one point hesitated about whether to through with it. It was because both of us thought that the cost (for the procedure) was quite expensive, while the chances for success so the doctor told us, were considerably low -- only 30 percent," Fatma, a civil servant, said.
"Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), our son Bagas already now has his second tooth," Fatma's husband, Ari Widayanto, who is also a civil servant said, while gazing at his six-month-old baby lying in Fatma's arms.
The procedure is certainly not cheap, costing tens of millions of rupiah, with complicated cases costing up to Rp 100 million or more. Meanwhile, the chances of success are also low, with only 28 percent of couples becoming pregnant through the procedure worldwide.
"It is completely irresponsible to tell couples with infertility problems that the chance for pregnancy success is higher with an invitro-fertilization program," said Amino, adding that ethical and moral considerations were highly respected at the clinic.
"We, for example, have often received requests from single women to have invitro-fertilization treatments here.
"Of course we don't and will not ever allow this. Only legally married couple are allowed to join the program here," Amino said.