She was the nation of India's first test-tube fetus at age 75. Kanupriya Agarwal, 45, is now an IVF advocate
The
inaugural day of Durga Puja in Kolkata was October 3, 1978. The decision was
simple for the Agarwal family, who had not yet considered a name for their
newborn. She was the first test tube baby born in India, therefore they
appropriately named her Durga. Kanupriya Agarwal, 45, alias Durga, who resides
in Mumbai with her husband and nine-year-old daughter, is happy to have been born
as India celebrates its 75th birthday. Because it provided ladies the option to
become pregnant who couldn't do it naturally. Kanupriya had a spontaneous
conception herself.
"In-vitro
fertilisation (IVF) is experiencing a surge right now. IVF procedures are like
over-the-counter vitamins; occasionally, people choose to use them despite not
having a need for them, claims Kanupriya. "It is true that modern women
are far more capable than they were. IVF offers them the chance to even select
pregnancy, which I believe is fantastic. For women who choose to become mothers
later, it is an option. Why should someone not do that? Nothing should prevent
me from exercising my right to decide when to have a child if we accept the
concepts of freedom of expression and the right to life, asserts Kanupriya.
She
was not only the second IVF baby born in the world, but also the first in
India. Due to Dr. Subhash Mukherjee's ground-breaking development, Kanupriya
was born 67 days after the UK's first of her kind. The doctor was a bright
scientist who pioneered research in this technology years ago, but it took
decades for his incredible achievement to be acknowledged. This has been a
glaring oddity for Kanupriya because she recalls asking for the scientist to be
awarded the Bharat Ratna. Without a doubt, there is a political
space. Why have a nation's honour medal if brilliant scientists aren't taken
into consideration? The first child born in a test tube is just as much of a
scientific and medical miracle, she argues. "Dr. Mukherjee had to deal
with a number of difficulties and criticism. He yet had a sharp mind and
developed practical methods using his own materials. His acceptance is
necessary, she asserts.
"It
is terrible that there hasn't been much of a change in how scientists are
treated over the past 75 years. They need time and money to obtain results that
are proven in this competitive market. There is a lot of failure out there, and
scientific discoveries are not always easy to achieve. If one is fortunate,
they may manage a success tale in their lifetime. To stifle our genius, we must
promote and finance research and development. She contends that honouring those
like Dr. Mukherjee should be the first step.
"Economic
gains are guaranteed by every scientific discovery. India is now regarded as a
centre for IVF because of this. Doctors have explained to us how well-respected
they are all across the world at conferences I have attended," she says.
There
are more than 3,000 IVF centres in the nation, according to Dr. Sanjeev Khurd,
who founded Pune's first exclusive infertility centre 35 years ago and served
as the society's previous president. 10% of married couples experience
infertility problems on average. "In addition to medical concerns, an
increase in the marriageable age of women has led to several obstacles for
couples considering IVF therapy. Additionally, there are elements associated to
stress. But as technology has standardised, opening an IVF clinic is no longer
challenging. However, 90% of the smaller centres only perform under 100 IVF
cycles, he continues.
Kanupriya
remembers questioning her mother Bela about her intense desire for a child. She
was a homemaker, so there was no question that the family was mistreating her.
But she sensed a gap in her. Both her fallopian tubes and her father's sperm
count were poor. It was a two-party issue that sparked discussions regarding
male fertility as well, she claims. "Dr. Mukherjee was very honest and
straightforward, and he promised to try his hardest. Dad did not want to
discuss an unexpected operation with the family. They were useful,
and the pregnancy went smoothly. Because I was the first baby born from a test
tube, the media flurry that followed my birth caught my father completely off
guard. They were quite plain individuals. She relates that he allegedly
remarked, "I have a healthy child and what is there to talk about? There
is still a lot to discuss since Kanupriya will always give many women cause for
optimism.