Heard Of Low Dose IVF?

A fertility expert tells us about a more affordable version of in vitro fertilisation that gives hope to more people and holds many other benefits too.

- Dr Goolam Mohamed

“One afternoon a domestic worker came to my office,” says DrGoolam Mohamed, chair of the Sandton Fertility Centre in Johannesburg.

“She was a single 38-year-old with a deep sadness on her face. She told me that she had had two ectopic pregnancies and her fallopian tubes had been cut off. She said she was depressed and had no desire for anything except a child. “I knew she could not afford traditional in vitro fertilisation, so I tried a different process at a very low cost.

“An ultrasound showed that she had a good number of eggs, so instead of injecting hormones, I administered oral ovulation induction agents. To my delight, she produced six follicles, which I then harvested using local anaesthesia to save costs. Five eggs were harvested.

“Because she was single, we got sperm from a donor. Fortunately, out of the five, two eggs grew to a day-five embryo of a high quality. These embryos were transferred into her uterus, and to her luck, she conceived twins.

“The babies were delivered at a government hospital. A year later, she came back to see me with the two children in her arms. Before me was a different woman, full of zest and purpose – and that has given me immense joy.”

HOW DOES IT WORK?

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) starts with the harvesting of oocytes (or eggs).

These can be harvested during your natural menstrual cycle or through follicle stimulation. There was a belief – it still persists today – that many eggs are required for a successful pregnancy, explains Dr Mohamed. Just over a decade ago, though, some clinics started using a milder form of follicle stimulation, with a view to collect fewer (but still healthy) eggs. It is a more affordable process.