South African Woman Diagnosed With Premature Menopause Gives Birth To Healthy Baby Boy

BabyGaga

By Helena Martin

Published May 31, 2019

She was able to conceive thanks to modern-day medicine.

Via: Pixabay, WenPhotos

A pivotal moment for reproductive medicine happened when Ashlesha Raghubir was able to successfully conceive a child despite being diagnosed with premature menopause. The 35-year-old has been struggling with infertility for almost a decade, and she and her husband, Arun, feared that they would not be able to start a family of their own. Luckily, they met Dr. Sagie Naidu, and he has helped change their lives forever.

Premature menopause is when a woman goes through menopause before the average “natural” age when it occurs. Typically, a woman will begin experiencing it at the age of 51, and a premature menopause is defined when she goes through it before turning 40. Periods will become more irregular and the flow will vary; hot flashes are also a major sign of menopause. All these symptoms are signals that the ovaries are producing less estrogen, so a woman’s fertility is no longer at its peak.

Prior to consulting Dr. Naidu, the couple have talked to three gynaecologists and a fertility doctor; all of which have told her that she was not ovulating properly. She had to wait three months for her appointment with Dr. Naidu, as there was a waiting list for his services. Once there, Raghubir received a new reproductive procedure of using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to rejuvenate her ovaries. The procedure is simple and safe, as it uses the patient’s own platelets so there’s no tissue rejection. After three months, the couple was able to conceive a child.

On the 30^th of April, Raghubir gave birth to a healthy baby boy, weighing 3.42 kilograms. This is the first successful case of pregnancy via PRP treatment in South Africa. Dr. Naidu explained that this was an important even in South African medicine, and Raghubir’s case gives hope for all women in the country who are having trouble conceiving.

Raghubir’s baby was named Ayush, meaning age, lineage, and duration of life—an accurate description of what he represents in not only his family’s life, but also the lives of many South Africans. He’s living proof that modern-day medicine can do wonders, and doctors can continue to pursue researching such techniques to help more moms in the future.