Moses Fache, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at NISA Premier Hospital Jabi, Abuja, on Monday advised women to have their babies before the age of 35 to avoid infertility.
Fache told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the production of eggs from the ovaries of a woman decline rapidly with age.
He
described infertility as conditions affecting production of eggs from
the ovaries, transportation of egg to the womb through the fallopian
tubes and implantation of fertilised eggs inside the womb.
The
medic identified those women who plan to have all their babies before
the age of 35 may prevent the aging ovary from being the cause of their
infertility.
He said that there were
diverse factors that could contribute to the reduced production of eggs
in a woman which exposes her infertility.
“Another common cause of reduced production from the ovaries is the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Polycystic
ovarian syndrome is a problem in which a woman’s hormones are out of
balance and it can cause problems with menstrual cycle which makes it
difficult for pregnancy to occur.
This
condition may be prevented by significant weight loss in obese
patients, but early identification and treatment can help improve the
woman’s chances of conception.
A
high prolactin level occasionally associated with milky discharge from
the breast of a woman that is not breastfeeding is also associated with
reduced egg production from the ovaries.
Other
causes include thyroid problems, premature failure of the ovaries,
drugs and treatments for other conditions that suppress ovarian
function,” Fache said.
On the
contributory functions of the fallopian tube to reproduction, he said
that the tube was to transport egg from the ovary to the site where
sperms meet the egg for fertilisation.
Fache noted that any damage to the tube prevents it from performing the function thereby causing infertility.
He said that infections and unhealthy practices to the reproductive system of a woman could render the tube non-functional.
He said that infections and unhealthy practices to the reproductive system of a woman could render the tube non-functional.
“Tubes can be damaged from sexually acquired infections like Chlamydia and gonorrhea.
These infections may not produce any noticeable symptoms when they are acquired and can cause irreversible damage to the tubes.
Other
causes of tubal damage include infections like tuberculosis of the
womb, pelvic infections from unsafe abortions, and pelvic adhesions from
surgery,” he said.
The
obstetrician emphasised that when the egg was fertilised and ready for
implantation, the cavity of the womb may have been damaged from previous
termination of pregnancies.
He also
said that evacuation of a miscarriage or as a complication of a fibroid
removal surgery could be a determinant factor to infertility.
A fibroid can partly or completely occupy the womb cavity also preventing implantation of the embryo.
Fache,
however, suggested that preventing pregnancy rather than terminating
them would help reduce the incidence of damaged womb lining.
In
spite of readily available tools for detecting and treating fertility
problems in women and couples generally, Fache said that patronage was
still poor due to the financial burden of fertility treatment.
He noted that, where possible, prevention by avoiding a potential source of infertility would help to reduce its incidence.
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