Doctors says : do not defer fertility treatment because of pandemic.
Age matters even in assisted pregnancies say city doctors as many couples had discontinued their visits last year.
Many couples in Bengaluru, who had stopped their fertility treatment when the widespread hit, are returning to clinics and hospitals now.
The fear of contracting Coronavirus-19, phobia around widespread pregnancies, and job losses and salary cuts were keeping them away, doctors told Metrolife. Some couples had an opportunity in their treatment because that they had moved to their hometowns following the lockdown.
Cut to the present. An infertility treatment chain has seen 30,000 new couples come for assistance to its centres across India since the second wave started easing. This is additionally to the clients who had deferred their treatment since 2020.
Others within the city have also seen a rise in walk-ins and queries. There are exceptions sort of a healthcare centre in Neelasandra, which saw a uniform flow of couples through this era.
So what has changed since the second wave, we asked? The “knowledge opening about the Coronavirus-19”, begins with Dr Chandana Narayana, a consultant gynaecologist and infertility specialist in Bengaluru. “When the widespread first hit, there was a fear about the security to conceive or to even visit the clinic for consultations.
But people are more informed now. Women can plough ahead with pregnancy and breastfeeding, whether or not they have Coronavirus, are recovering from it or have recovered. It is also safe to require the jab”.
Dr Pallavi Prasad, a fertility consultant within the city, agrees: “During the primary wave, we had stopped elective procedures following the government order and our internal decision. We did not want to risk the lives of our clients.” But the jab approval for pregnant women has allayed those fears greatly, she says and lauds the BBMP for doing a good job on this front. Her clinic also decided to counsel the ‘backlog clients’ over the phone.
Moreover, many couples have realised the pandemic is not getting to get away soon not a minimum of during a few months because the talks of a 3rd wave and mutants become routine. “There is not any point in waiting it out, they have realised.
They have to measure with the widespread and take action sooner because age is critical in pregnancies, whether natural or assisted,” says Dr Nirmala Chandrashekar, a consultant obstetrics gynaecology and gynaec oncology, who practices in Bengaluru.
The economy is recovering and a few couples are in a better position than before in affording these treatments. In some centres, In vitro fertilization (IVF) costs upwards of Rs1.8 lakh, and Intrauterine insemination IUI comes for Rs 8-Rs12 lakh.
Dr Manisha Singh, a senior consultant of gynaecology and reproductive medicine within the city, says, “Treatments like IVF or IUI are not cheap intrinsically. They are expensive, and to not forget, they do not guarantee a pregnancy. So couples make a conscious choice, knowing alright that the treatment might not go favourably then plan their expenses. A few of her clients had dropped calls in 2020 due to financial constraints.
The success of fertility treatment reduces with age
“It is 50-55 per cent for females undergoing IVF under the age of 35. It drops further within the 35-40 age bracket. It is 10-15 per cent beyond 40 years. This is for IVF cases where a woman uses her eggs. In the case where a woman uses her eggs. In the case of donor eggs, the birth rate of an IVF cycle remains at 51 per cent despite the age of the woman,” says Dr Pallavi.
The age factor matters in men too and their sperm quality starts declining after 50-55 years. “If we discover abnormalities in their semen earlier, that is a special case. Male infertility is on the increase,” says Dr Nirmala.
If you can not afford fertility treatment, eat healthy, exercise, hamper screen time, alcohol and smoking, and keep trying naturally. This applies to both males and females
“Fertility is not a black or white area. It is grey. The trick is to keep trying. The work-from-home lifestyle gave couples tons of quality time and 15 of my clients were ready to conceive naturally in 2020, without going for the treatments that they had signed up for, previously ” says Dr Manisha.
If you are far away from Bengaluru, ask your doctor to attach you with a fertility specialist near you. Carry on with teleconsultation.
SOURCE
https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-your-bond-with-bengaluru/don-t-defer-fertility-treatment-because-of-pandemic-say-doctors-1024299.html