Good news as first IUI quadruplets delivered in Ghana

Some women choose not to have children, while others want children but are unable to do so because of uncontrollable circumstances.

Due to social expectations, childless women endure anxiety, loneliness, isolation, and even low self-esteem.

Their problems are made worse by the fact that they are labelled as barren. Owing to their current circumstances, individuals turn to a variety of treatments, including assisted reproductive care, in the hopes that eventually their desires would be fulfilled.

Thankfully, some have been successful and have had multipla children, while others have given up and resorted to adoption as a last choice.

However, there is good news for childless women whose circumstances are beyond their control: the nation’s first intrauterine insemination (IUI) quadruplets have been delivered, offering them hope.

IUI is a common fertility treatment where healthy sperm are collected, ‘washed’ and concentrated in a laboratory, and then directly inserted into a woman’s uterus around ovulation using a thin catheter to help sperm reach the egg for fertilisation, often used for unexplained infertility, cervical issues, or mild male factor infertility, and is less invasive than IVF. 

This breakthrough occurred at the Walking Egg Medical and Fertility Centre at Pokuase in Accra, where a 30-year-old surrogate mother delivered a set of quadruplets, a rare surrogacy success that has brought renewed attention to assisted reproductive care in Ghana.

According to our reporter who witnessed the delivery, the babies-two boys and two girls- were delivered through a caesarean section in the early hours of Tuesday at 36 weeks and weighed an average of 2.5 kilogrammes each, a weight doctors say was healthy for a multiple pregnancy.

The Spectator is filled with joy and applauds the Medical Director of the Centre, Dr Nana Yaw Osei, for this great feat which will give hope to women and bring joy to many families.

Describing the moment of delivery, he added, “I was in tears in the theatre. It reminded me why I chose this profession.”

Hear him, “Unlike IVF which could result in multiple babies, this is “possibly the first IUI leading to quadruplets in Ghana.”

He explained that IUI is not planned to result in multiple births adding that “this outcome was left entirely to nature.”

Again, he revealed that “With IUI, you introduce prepared sperm into the uterus and have no control over how many eggs fertilized.” 

The revelation is reassuring therefore we encourage couples to plan surrogacy arrangement as in this case the intended mother had lost her uterus during surgery to remove fibroids, making it medically impossible for her to carry a pregnancy.

Dr Osei again indicated that surrogacy, though still widely misunderstood, is recognised under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 2020 (Act 1027).

Although there have been concerns commonly associated with multiple pregnancies, Dr Osei noted that the surrogate experienced no major complications, and the delivery was smooth.

The good news is that “Paediatric assessments conducted after birth confirmed that all four babies are healthy.”

We therefore urge couples to consider surrogacy which is restoring hope to women who have lost the ability to carry a child.

Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27