Korede Abdullah in Lagos
A fertility specialist, Dr. Jaiyeoba Adeyemi, has debunked the misconception that children conceived through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) are abnormal.
Speaking at the “Optimising Your Fertility Health” forum hosted by BridgeClinic in Lagos on Saturday, he emphasized that IVF babies are as healthy and normal as those conceived naturally.
“Some people feel that a baby born through IVF will be an abnormal one,” he said. “We have babies who are born through IVF and they are all normal because it is still the same human genetic that is being used.”
Dr. Adeyemi explained that IVF uses the same biological materials—sperm from the man and eggs from the woman—as natural conception. “It is the same thing that is used in conception.
So, babies born through IVF are just as normal as babies who are born naturally,” he reiterated. He also noted that IVF success rates vary but have become increasingly encouraging in recent years, thanks to advances in fertility science and better patient care.
Highlighting the importance of timely fertility evaluation, Adeyemi advised couples trying to conceive for over a year to seek medical help.
He stressed that women aged 35 and above should act even sooner due to age-related fertility decline. “Women above 35 need more urgent care than women in their 20s and early 30s,” he said.
On egg donation, he acknowledged the growing fertility industry in Nigeria and assured that BridgeClinic adheres to ethical guidelines, with oversight from the Association of Fertility and Reproductive Health.
