Muslim mother gives birth to Mindanao’s first test-tube baby

DAVAO CITY -- A Muslim mother gave birth to Mindanao’s first test-tube baby at the Brokenshire Hospital here at 3:43 p.m. Thursday.Baby boy Muhagher, who weighed 3.22 kg. and measured 49 cm. long, is the first baby born from a successful pregnancy through the in vitro fertilization (IVF) offered by Brokenshire Hospital, which opened its IVF facility in October last year.IVF is a process by which an egg is fertilized by sperm outside the body. It is a medical procedure where the egg cell and the sperm cell are extracted from the couple to join them in the laboratory.After the fertilized egg or embryo is formed, which takes about two weeks to develop, it will be injected in the uterus of the woman. I am so happy but also nervous because my wife is still unconscious, said Gamal Pagul, father of Muhagher. Gamal was beside his wife, Mydean, when she gave birth.It was the most awaited moment of Gamal and Mydean, who both agreed to have a baby of their own through the IVF procedure. Gamal, 29, has one child by his first marriage while Mydean, 39, has three children from a previous relationship. Mydean underwent ligation after bearing her three children.The couple is from Wa-o, Lanao del Sur. Gamal works as a jail officer at Bureau of Jail Management in Wa-o while Mydean is a public school teacher, also inWa-o.Gamal recalled that when they decided to have a child, they sought the help of Dr. Lana of Simbulan Hospital in Bukidnon. The couple had wanted the Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), a type of artificial insemination procedure for treating infertility but it was unsuccessful because Mydean has been ligated.The doctor suggested they see Dr. Maria Lourdes Cabling, the laboratory director and president of the Fertility Care Center in Davao at Brokenshire Hospital.Before the final decision on IVF, Gamal said they did some research through the Internet. They also obtained the support of their parents. It is not against our religious belief, Gamal said when asked if it was not against the Muslim religion and culture. Among pangandoy nga maka-anak mi (It is our wish to have a baby), he said in an interview with reporters.Going through the entire nine months of pregnancy, Gamal said they had to travel to Davao City for Mydean’s monthly visit to her doctor.They did not mind the travel despite her condition. Our ultimate goal was to have the baby and… of course ligtas ang asawa ko (my wife is safe), he said.Mydean is only one of the successful pregnancies being taken care of by the Fertility Care Center (FCC), which has a 42 percent successful pregnancy rate. Of the successful pregnancies, 60 percent of the women are within the 35 years and below age bracket while 38 percent are in the 35 years and above age bracket.he IVF facility, the first in Mindanao, opened on Oct. 28 last year, aiming to provide a more affordable operation compared to those in Luzon. (LM/LDP/EDS)