Wednesday May 20, 2009
All is not lost for childless couples
There are different fertility treatments to give nature a hand.
MAKING babies is no laughing matter. For those who have problems conceiving, it is a very sensitive subject. While ART (Assisted Reproductive Technologies) has been around for years, people are still confused by all the acronyms – IUI, IVF, ICSI. What does it all mean?
IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) is for those who are healthy (the woman has healthy fallopian tubes and the man has satisfactory sperm quality) but are still unable to conceive.
IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) is for women who have blocked fallopian tubes or men who have poor sperm quality, or those who have failed to conceive via the IUI method.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is for men with very low or poor quality sperm count or whose sperms are blocked within the testicles.
Obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Fong Chee Kin says that married couples who have a strong desire to have children, and who have been trying to conceive for a certain period of time, should go for fertility treatment.
“The results are actually very similar to what happens in nature. It’s not 100% or even 80%. If you take 100 women who are having regular intercourse for one month, only 30% will conceive. So all our results are actually about that, too,” he says.
According to Dr Fong, about 10% of the population has fertility problems and most patients go for timed intercourse, IUI, IVF and ICSI treatments as well as the frozen embryo transfer.
“My advice to couples is try to get pregnant while they’re young. That’s the most important message. We don’t like them to come to us for treatment. We would prefer it if they can get pregnant on their own and the most important thing is age. Don’t delay the pregnancy till they are 35 and above,” he says.
Find out more about the fertility treatments available in Malaysia at ParenThots.
Book reviews and a 25% discount
This week, ParenThots starts its DVD reviews and book reviews sections. This week’s books are Practical Wisdom For Parents by Nancy Schulman and Ellen Birnbaum, and The Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson.
Practical Wisdom For Parents gives insight into what children of preschool age understand. What you understand as an adult is very different from what a preschooler understands when given instructions.
The Horse Boy is about a couple’s struggle to come to terms with their son’s autism and their search for a way to help him in his development.
Readers can print out the e-voucher on the review page to get a 25% discount on The Horse Boy from any MPH bookstore.
What to do about a lying child
Parents share their experiences in handling lying. It is important to stop the lying as early as possible, say parents.
“We just don’t tolerate lies. We have told them umpteenth times,” says Vivienne Ong.
“I tell my children that telling the truth is not only the right thing to do, but it also keeps them out of trouble,” says Raslan Sharif.
Read more comments at ParenThots. Readers are encouraged to share their parenting experiences and tips by e-mailing parenthots@thestar.com.my.
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