IS IVF HOLY GRAIL FOR INFERTILITY TREATMENT?

With a young workforce addicted to coffee, cigarettes and junk food, infertility cases seem to be on the rise in #Bangalore. Another evidence may be the mushrooming IVF clinics across the city.

But, is anybody at all helping couples to make the right choices?

The causes for infertility are numerous: In women it can be delay in getting married, late decisions to conceive, choice of careers being first, hormonal imbalance, lifestyle choices, plus a new threat of toxins in the air, food and water. Pollution, long commutes and working in hot conditions reduce sperm count in men.

Bangalore also has a young workforce working in the ITeS sector where smoking, drinking and stress levels are more. Even working in call centres disturbs the normal equilibrium of a person. These habits, including consumption of junk food that leads to obesity, have repercussions on a person’s reproductive health as they trigger hormonal changes.

The city is also witnessing a higher number of thyroid and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (known as PCOD) cases which also have a bearing on their reproductive health making it difficult for women above 35 to conceive, says Dr Deepthi Bawa, Reproductive and #IVF Specialist who consults with Aster CMI Hospital.

Doctors rue the fact that couples do not come together. ``Women have to take the initiative and come early. It is better to bring their husbands too as it will save a lot of time, money and energy for both the couple as well as the doctor. Of course, there is taboo, fear, cultural and religious issues involved,’’ says Dr Bawa.

``The best thing for a suspected infertility case is that patients should come for a check early and not keep putting off their first visit to a specialist. And, the experience has been that people first go to quacks of all kinds and try out so many things before actually realizing that they need to see an IVF specialist,’’ says Dr Nitish Shetty, CEO, Aster CMI Hospital.

Aster CMI has a full-fledged IVF facility along with other specialities that takes care of a patient’s total needs.

``If couples are trying to have a child for over a year, they should come see experts immediately. They should not delay visiting a specialist and our experience is that people come after 4-5 years of trying. The more one delays, the more a partner ages and problems may get added on,’’ says Dr Bawa.

IVF or In vitro fertilization is a process by which an egg is fertlised by a sperm outside the body. In vitro literally means in a glass (referring to a test-tube) and thereby getting the popular name ``test tube baby’’.

Specialists in this field do not strictly encourage youngsters to visit unless there is tube damage or reduced sperm count. ``A major part of the IVF specialist’s work involves psychological counseling too. Follow up and investigation takes longer than the actual treatment,’’ adds the doctor.

At Aster CMI Hospital, counselors, nutritionists, therapists or fertility fitness experts work together. Such an integrated approach is necessary as Indians over the last decade or so have deviated from their natural food and meal timings.

``The IVF results may not be satisfactory if women want an intervention at the fag end of their reproductive life. We want people to come early so that they get the best results,’’ says Dr Bawa.