Chioma Umeha

By Chioma Umeha Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is commonly referred as – ICSI. It   is a simple way of saying “inject sperm into egg.” ICSI is a very effective method to fertilize eggs in the invitro-fertilisation (IVF) lab after they have been aspirated from the female. Its main use is for significant male infertility cases. IVF with ICSI involves the use of specialized micromanipulation tools and equipment and inverted microscopes that enable embryologists to select and pick up individual sperm in a specially designed ICSI needle. The needle is carefully advanced through the outer shell of the egg and the egg membrane – and the sperm is injected into the inner part (cytoplasm) of the egg. This usually results in normal fertilization in about 75 to 85 per cent of eggs injected with sperm. However, first the woman must be stimulated with medications and have an egg retrieval procedure so we can obtain several eggs for in vitro fertilization and ICSI.

Abayomi Wins Award Of Excellence In Medical Leadership By Chioma Umeha Health professionals have called for the promotion of mental health in the country especially among aspirants to leadership positions. This, they explained, is to ensure that they have the qualities and ability to pursue the good of the society. They made the call during the during the just-concluded Annual Scientific Conference And Gathering organised by the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), Idi-Araba, Lagos. Speakers at the conference with the theme, “Mental Health In a Recessed Economy,” and sub-theme, “Role of Academics in Emotional Health Promotion,” linked general well-being of individuals to their state of mental health. Among those who canvassed for this recently was Professor Jude Uzoma Ohaeri, a Professor of Psychiatric, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State. In a lecture entitled, “Mental Health Promotion As A Nat

By Chioma Umeha To ensure consumers’ satisfaction, Nigeria Breweries Plc, one of the foremost brewer in the country has raised the bar in the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) market with the launch of “Ace Desire,” the first zobo-flavoured alcoholic drink. Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Franco Maria Maggi, explained to Journalists at the launch in Lagos on Thursday, that Ace Desire is a sophisticated blend of spirit, natural Hibiscus or zobo extracts, being the traditional beverage produced from Hibiscus leaves. “This rich combination of a balanced mix of spirit and Hibiscus extracts contains 5.5 per cent alcohol, and offers a tingling sensation and rich aroma”, he said. According to him, Ace Desire, packaged in a 33cl glass bottle, stands out amongst other products on the Ready-to-Drink category. He added that Nigerian Breweries, “the house of quality” has delivered on yet another promise to delight consumers with the introduction of Ace Desire. “Th

By Chioma Umeha To control rapid population growth, its associated problems and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stakeholders have called for increased budgetary allocation to family planning as Nigeria joins the rest of the work to mark 2017 World Population Day (WPD). Speaking on this year’s WPD theme, “Family Planning, Birth Spacing: Empowering People, Developing Nations,” Chief Eze Duruiheoma, Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), said that family planning and birth spacing are measures to attain a sustainable family size by way of allowing for adequate intervals between births, employing especially the use of contraception. Duruiheoma said, “Family planning is not only about saving lives but also empowering people and developing nations. “Family and birth spacing are personal decisions but their profound implications on health, economic and social wellbeing of the society are far reaching. “That is why simple individual decision

By Chioma Umeha Exercise: Exercise should be encouraged for both women and men who are gearing up to try to conceive. However, excessive, strenuous exercise in women may result in disruption of the ovulation cycle, thereby affecting her periods. Normal exercise has not been linked to miscarriages (loss of pregnancy), but certain forms of exercise (for example, high-impact or contact sports or scuba diving) should be avoided in pregnancy. In men, too much exercise may cause a low sperm count. Weight and fertility A healthy diet is very important for women who are trying for a baby. Being overweight can affect a woman’s fertility and can cause complications during pregnancy. A woman who is overweight and who is planning a pregnancy would be advised to lose weight before she conceives. Obesity can affect fertility by causing hormonal imbalances and problems with ovulation, particularly for obese women having their first baby. Obesity is associated with poly-c

By Chioma Umeha As the world marked Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Day penultimate week, experts have reiterated the importance of early diagnosis, saying it can prevent many difficulties and ease treatment, thereby increasing the chance of patient’s survival. To this effect, Lagos State, has announced that testing for sickle cell disease will soon become a compulsory part of the newborn screening programme. Sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait can be diagnosed with a simple blood test and can also be diagnosed before the baby is born. Speaking recently in an interview, Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health in the state, said that the purpose is to diagnose affected babies early in life and thus introduce timely and lifesaving interventions that would manage avoidable suffering and possibly prevent death. The test will utilise blood from the blood samples used for other routine newborn screening tests, Dr. Idris said. It can show whether a newborn

By Chioma Umeha With this year’s Nigeria Prize for Science competition recording the highest number of entries from 27 scientists worldwide, experts believe that fight to end the malaria scourge in Africa has received a boost. At the moment, the scientists are working on innovations in Malaria Control to win the coveted $100,000 with their new findings. The General Manager External Relations of Nigeria LNG, Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke, said this on recently, in Lagos at the formal hand-over of entries to the Advisory Board of the Nigeria Prize for Science. Dr. Eresia-Eke expressed optimism that this year’s prize competition will throw up a notable innovation in combating the malaria scourge in Africa, particularly in Nigeria. In his remarks at the ceremony, Dr. Eresia-Eke said “The journey every year of The Nigeria Prize for Science is punctuated by milestones. One of those milestones is actually the announcement of the closure and number of entries for the year.