The University College Hospital, Ibadan, has recorded an astounding feat by birthing the hospital’s first In Vitro Fertilized (IVF) babies.
According to the hospital authorities, the delivery process began around 1 pm and lasted for about 46minutes, adding that the mother and the babies, all girls, are in good condition.
The three babies weighed 1.4kg, 2.5kg and 2.4kg respectively.
The father of the triplets; Dr Kehinde Osiki of the Department of History and Strategic Studies, University of Lagos, who was present to witness the delivery of the babies expressed joy at the arrival of the babies, saying, “Technology has brought relief to problems often attributed to spirituality.”
The father said ” instead of people carrying the burden of superstition, they should seek scientific solutions to problems, and married couples who could not have babies should not lose hope as solutions are very much present within the world of science and technology.’
“I believe there is no barren man and there is no barren woman. My biggest lesson from this is that there is no problem that cannot be solved the right way.” he said.
The mother of the triplets works with the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan.
Consultant Gynaecologist and lead Surgeon, Dr. Seun Saanu described the delivery process which lasted for about forty-five minutes as a success story. According to him, the mother and the children are stable and will soon be discharged. He disclosed that three more expectant mothers who have been through the IVF procedure will soon be delivered.
A former Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Professor Abiodun Ilesanmi seized the opportunity to commend the current leadership in the hospital for carrying on with the vision of the IVF centre.
He, therefore, expressed gratitude to the team of healthcare personnel who have sustained the vision over the years by making the centre a reality to behold.
Also, the Chief Medical Director Prof. Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo expressed his delight in the delivery of the triplets describing it as another success story for UCH.
He pointed out that the commitment to take UCH to an enviable level played out with the commencement of the first IVF procedure in 2020, and delivery of the first set of babies through the process a year after.
“I must also thank Prof. Abiodun Ilesanmi who developed the assisted reproductive technology centre otherwise known as the IVF centre in UCH about thirteen years ago for putting things in place for us to build on”
“I must also thank my predecessor, Prof. Temitope Alonge, for the efforts he put in place and the magnificent team that carried out the delivery.”
Otegbayo, therefore, called on families to relieve themselves the burden of infertility
saying the hospital’s IVF centre is committed to the provision of safe, efficient and affordable care to optimise the chance(s) of having pregnancies and the delivery of healthy babies.
