Natural birth son fathered by Thailand’s first test tube baby

PHOTO: The Nation

Pavornit Srisahaburi a 31 year old engineer stands in the maternity ward at Chulalongkorn University waiting to visit ‘Delta’ his first baby.

Unlike many fathers who have share the same magic moment, Pavornvit is special as he was born and created by artificial insemination, or intro-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the very same ward.

“In Vitro Fertilisation is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) commonly referred to as IVF. IVF is the process of fertilisation by extracting eggs, retrieving a sperm sample, and then manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish. The embryo(s) is then transferred to the uterus. Other forms of ART include gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT)and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT).” – Americanpregnancy.com

Also known as a “test tube baby”, Pavornit was the first Thai IVF starting a more common trend which was met with shock and skepticism at first. Now he is the proud father of a natural born and very healthy bouncing baby, Delta. No form of artificial means was used to conceive Delta, who’s development was monitored by the Medical ward throughout the pregnancy.

Delta is being constantly monitored due to his fathers special conception, where DNA tests and high frequency sonar waves check that the chromosomes of the baby are in good condition. His father has been visiting the ward for 30 years where his medical records are kept by the doctors and scientists.

A press conference held on Tuesday by Chulalongkorn University for the announcement of the baby as well as mentioned its advancements in fertilisation, so that ‘any family’ (with enough money) can conceive if the procedure is successful.

New services now include egg and sperm freezing as well as ovarian tissue cryopreservation – a process in which the hospital can store the ovarian tissue in extreme cold, keeping the tissue intact until the patient is ready to conceive.

With around 7 million children born worldwide to artificial insemination, it has become a more accepted practice with many seeking out the help. Thailand is home to an estimated 20,000-30,000 IVF children, with the Chulalongkorn Clinic having helped conceived around 400. Artificial insemination is also being seen as a solution to ageing societies worldwide, where over time birthrate have plateaued.

Thailand currently has a fertility rate of 1.5 which is lower than the suggested 2.1 by the World Health Organization to maintain a growing population. This factor has already impacted the country with labor shortages, with studies projecting that by 2040 half the Thai population will be over 65.

Most importantly, a healthy child was born and for Pavornit and his wife. The question is when Delta will have a new brother or sister to play with.

SOURCE: The Nation,Bangkok Post, World Health Organization