STI: A baby at any age? Many here think so - mistakenly

May 24, 2004

A baby at any age? Many here think so - mistakenly
by M. Nirmala

A HIGH number of singles and married couples here are convinced that advances in medical technology can help them have babies at any age, according to the finding of a survey that even has fertility experts surprised.

Six out of 10 Singaporeans polled believe procreation can happen at will, and that 'fertility can be turned on and off like a tap', said the Ministry of Community Development and Sports (MCDS) which commissioned the survey.

The responses from the 6,000 Singaporeans polled, half of whom were married, reflected an over-confidence placed in technology to overcome problems in conception.

The notion, which is at odds with long-standing medical evidence that fertility declines with age, even prompted Community Development and Sports Minister Yaacob Ibrahim to say that 'fertility is not on tap'.

'Singaporeans seem to think that with better medical technology, it is no longer difficult for older couples to conceive; that age is no longer a criterion. This is not true.'

A 35-year-old father, who spent about $100,000 on in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) so he and his wife could have a child, agreed and urged couples not to wait: 'We thought we could let nature take its course, but we were wrong.'

The survey between July last year and February this year will help guide policy planners looking into ways to boost Singapore's population.

They have already taken on board other MCDS findings, including that a lack of money, time and energy is what couples say holds them back from achieving their dream family size of three children.

According to the fertility survey, more than half - 65 per cent - of career women polled believed a woman could conceive at any age with a fertility treatment programme.

Eight out of 10 of these women - who see work as central to their identities and lifestyles - knew, however, that fertility treatment programmes were a painful and expensive undertaking.

KK Women's and Children's Hospital's head of reproductive medicine Sheila Loh was surprised by the results.

'It is a myth. Science is there to help to a certain extent. No matter how healthy a woman is, her eggs would be older as she ages,' she said.

Associate Professor P.C. Wong, who heads the National University Hospital's obstetrics and gynaecology department, added: 'Women should use science and medical advancement as a fall-back plan or backup and not to use it as a lifestyle choice.'

Doctors said the percentage of women who could have babies using technology drops with age.

For those who use the IVF method, the chances of women aged 35 and below, conceiving is about 50 per cent.

But for women above 40, there is only a 10 to 15 per cent chance, said Prof Wong.

Of those who become pregnant, 20 per cent can suffer miscarriages, said doctors.

The MCDS will step up education efforts through radio talk shows and public seminars as 80 per cent of those interviewed want advice on fertility issues after marriage.

Ms Charlotte Beck, director of MCDS' family policy unit, said the ministry will also work with voluntary groups that can better connect with the ground.

One such organisation is the newly set up Alife Pregnancy Assistance and Counselling Services.

Founder member and gynaecologist Peter Chew said their counselling included tips on how frequently couples should have sex. This approach had helped 16 out of 100 couples to have babies.

'We use low-cost simple methods to get across messages that even if Hollywood stars can have babies when they are old, there are many, many women who cannot do so, even after spending a lot of money and going through a lot of pain.'