Latest news with #Hussa
The National
11 hours ago
- Health
- The National
New fertility treatments offer hope of reversing declining birth rates in UAE
An Emirati woman has defied the odds by giving birth to a healthy baby boy thanks to a scientific breakthrough, five years on from her first attempts at starting a family. Hussa, 42, was given a pioneering treatment of breast cancer drugs, repurposed to restore her uterus to optimum health, allowing her to conceive. When that was paired with a genetic test to ensure her eggs were in the best possible condition for fertilisation and a new technique removing them at a smaller growth stage than usual, Hussa and her husband Ahmed were told they had a successful pregnancy. The procedure at the Art Fertility Clinic in Abu Dhabi is the latest example of how personalised medical care is helping deliver the best possible outcome for patients. Fertility and birth rates around the world are on the slide due to economic, environmental and lifestyle factors. But with similar successes and new scientific discoveries, doctors hope that can be reversed to resolve the issue of declining populations. 'It's extremely important to realise that fertility is a very new field of medicine,' said Dr Human Fatema, a consultant in obstetrics, gynaecology and reproductive health at Art Fertility Clinics. 'IVF treatments have existed for only 45 years, whereas ophthalmologists, cardiologists and many other fields have been there for centuries. It means our knowledge is extremely poor and why research is important to go one step ahead. 'Now, we have reached the era of individualised medicine, it's not a one-size-fits-all approach any more. Every month, the endocrine profile of a woman differs, so the way you approach stimulating a woman for IVF is different.' Multiple techniques Hussa, who lives in Abu Dhabi, had been experiencing primary infertility for more than four years, with a history of endometriosis and severe adenomyosis, a condition where tissue that normally lines the uterus grows into its muscular wall. The couple underwent an intracytoplasmic sperm injection using frozen sperm from the Micro-TESE procedure, a technique that extracts sperm directly from the testes. The resulting embryos were subjected to preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, which identified a single euploid embryo suitable for transfer. Then, a carefully designed five-month course of Decapeptyl 3.75 and Letrozole, two drugs used for breast cancer, was initiated, followed by a uterine wash and hormone replacement therapy. A first procedure took place during the pandemic, but when Hussa caught Covid-19, she lost the pregnancy. A second attempt proved a resounding success, with Hussa giving birth to a healthy baby boy five months ago. The couple now hope by revealing their struggles they can inspire others to not give up hope of starting a family. 'We used to operate on these type of cases, or suppress hormones with injections, but the success was very limited so we just tried to think a little bit out of the box,' said Dr Fatema. 'When we scanned Hussa's uterus, it was pushing against her lungs, which I have never seen before. We looked to combine these cancer drugs, plus the treatment of suppressing the hormones. 'After five months, the results were extraordinary and she had almost a completely normal uterus. If you see this kind of success, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Standard IVF doesn't exist any more.' In a world where fertility rates are steadily declining due to the fast-paced, high-stress lifestyles of modern couples, comprehensive, tailored approaches towards fertility are offering a viable path forward for hopeful parents. Plunging birth rates According to the UN's World Fertility Report 2024, the fertility rate in the UAE has dropped dramatically, from 3.76 live births per woman in 1994 to just 1.21 in 2024. It is a familiar pattern around the globe. Fertility rates in India have dropped from five to two births per woman since the 1970s, while in South Korea a total fertility rate of around six births per woman in the 1950s has plummeted to less than one in 2023. Dr Fatema said there were a number of contributing factors. 'The prevalence of infertility in the Gulf is significantly higher than what we see in the West,' he said. 'Key reasons are environmental and lifestyle. When you cover yourself, you have a lack of sun exposure, leading to a decline of vitamin D. 'This decreases the number of eggs, so women go earlier to menopause because they're fully covered and have no sun exposure. "Other factors are consanguinity and obesity. In married cousins, daughters have a reduced ovarian reserve and go earlier to menopause. 'Also, a lot of physicians do elective C-sections in this region, as they think this is the easy way to go, but those C-sections also reduce the receptivity of the uterus.' According to the Gulf Research Centre Foundation, fertility in Oman fell from six babies per woman, on average, in 1995 to four on 2016. In Saudi Arabia, the number fell from 3.6 in 2004 to 2.4 in 2016, and from 4.4 in 1997 to 3.2 in 2015 in Qatar. New parents Hussa and Ahmed, however, are looking forward to an exciting new future. 'I knew we would be happy if we had a child, I was on medication and I was suffering, despite that I always had hope,' said Hussa. 'Dr Fatema gave me that energy to come back after we had been trying for so long. I always wanted to get the feelings of being a mum and having a family of our own. I knew it would make our lives very different. It has made me happier. 'Family is a very important part of our culture. We need to have kids and actually we love a big family. But from my side, a small family is more than enough. 'If I could speak with any other couples who may be struggling, I would tell them to be patient, you will get good results eventually if you keep trying.'
The National
a day ago
- Health
- The National
New fertility treatments offer hope in reversing declining birth rates
An Emirati woman has defied the odds by successfully giving birth to a healthy baby boy thanks to a scientific breakthrough, five years on from her first attempts at starting a family. Hussa, 42, was given a pioneering treatment of breast cancer drugs, repurposed to restore her uterus to optimum health, allowing her to conceive. When that was paired with a genetic test to ensure her eggs were in the best possible condition for fertilisation and a new technique removing them at a smaller growth stage than usual, Hussa and her husband Ahmed were told they had a successful pregnancy. The procedure at the Art Fertility Clinic in Abu Dhabi is the latest example of how personalised medical care is helping deliver the best possible outcome for patients. Fertility and birth rates around the world are on the slide due to economic, environmental and lifestyle factors. But with similar successes and new scientific discoveries, doctors hope that can be reversed to resolve the issue of declining populations. 'It's extremely important to realise that fertility is a very new field of medicine,' said Dr Human Fatema, a consultant in obstetrics, gynaecology and reproductive health at Art Fertility Clinics. 'IVF treatments have existed for only 45 years, whereas ophthalmologists, cardiologists and many other fields have been there for centuries. It means our knowledge is extremely poor and why research is important to go one step ahead. 'Now, we have reached the era of individualised medicine, it's not a one-size-fits-all approach any more. Every month, the endocrine profile of a woman differs, so the way you approach stimulating a woman for IVF is different.' Multiple techniques Hussa, who lives in Abu Dhabi, had been experiencing primary infertility for more than four years, with a history of endometriosis and severe adenomyosis, a condition where tissue that normally lines the uterus grows into its muscular wall. The couple underwent an intracytoplasmic sperm injection using frozen sperm from the Micro-TESE procedure, a technique that extracts sperm directly from the testes. The resulting embryos were subjected to preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, which identified a single euploid embryo suitable for transfer. Then, a carefully designed five-month course of Decapeptyl 3.75 and Letrozole, two drugs used for breast cancer, was initiated, followed by a uterine wash and hormone replacement therapy. A first procedure took place during the pandemic, but when Hussa caught Covid-19, she lost the pregnancy. A second attempt proved a resounding success, with Hussa giving birth to a healthy baby boy five months ago. The couple now hope by revealing their struggles they can inspire others to not give up hope of starting a family. 'We used to operate on these type of cases, or suppress hormones with injections, but the success was very limited so we just tried to think a little bit out of the box,' said Dr Fatema. 'When we scanned Hussa's uterus, it was pushing against her lungs, which I have never seen before. We looked to combine these cancer drugs, plus the treatment of suppressing the hormones. 'After five months, the results were extraordinary and she had almost a completely normal uterus. If you see this kind of success, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Standard IVF doesn't exist any more.' In a world where fertility rates are steadily declining due to the fast-paced, high-stress lifestyles of modern couples, comprehensive, tailored approaches towards fertility are offering a viable path forward for hopeful parents. Plunging birth rates According to the UN's World Fertility Report 2024, the fertility rate in the UAE has dropped dramatically, from 3.76 live births per woman in 1994 to just 1.21 in 2024. It is a familiar pattern around the globe. Fertility rates in India have dropped from five to two births per woman since the 1970s, while in South Korea a total fertility rate of around six births per woman in the 1950s has plummeted to less than one in 2023. Dr Fatema said there were a number of contributing factors. 'The prevalence of infertility in the Gulf is significantly higher than what we see in the West,' he said. 'Key reasons are environmental and lifestyle. When you cover yourself, you have a lack of sun exposure, leading to a decline of vitamin D. 'This decreases the number of eggs, so women go earlier to menopause because they're fully covered and have no sun exposure. "Other factors are consanguinity and obesity. In married cousins, daughters have a reduced ovarian reserve and go earlier to menopause. 'Also, a lot of physicians do elective C-sections in this region, as they think this is the easy way to go, but those C-sections also reduce the receptivity of the uterus.' According to the Gulf Research Centre Foundation, fertility in Oman fell from six babies per woman, on average, in 1995 to four on 2016. In Saudi Arabia, the number fell from 3.6 in 2004 to 2.4 in 2016, and from 4.4 in 1997 to 3.2 in 2015 in Qatar. New parents Hussa and Ahmed, however, are looking forward to an exciting new future. 'I knew we would be happy if we had a child, I was on medication and I was suffering, despite that I always had hope,' said Hussa. 'Dr Fatema gave me that energy to come back after we had been trying for so long. I always wanted to get the feelings of being a mum and having a family of our own. I knew it would make our lives very different. It has made me happier. 'Family is a very important part of our culture. We need to have kids and actually we love a big family. But from my side, a small family is more than enough. 'If I could speak with any other couples who may be struggling, I would tell them to be patient, you will get good results eventually if you keep trying.'
The National
03-04-2025
- General
- The National
'Blessed to be her mother': Emirati women open up about fostering children
Aysha Albusmait is a single mum raising her two daughters Reem, 15, and Hussa, 9. Reem was only three-years-old, and Hussa just 40 days, when she became their mother. As an Emirati foster mother, Ms Albusmait told The National there needs to be more awareness about what's involved with fostering children in the UAE, from starting the process to providing emotional support for foster parents. When asked why she decided to foster children, Ms Albusmait takes a deep breath. 'I think the question to ask is why I didn't foster them earlier. My life was incomplete without them. It was like a missing puzzle piece in my life,' she said. 'Today, my life is complete with Reem and Hussa. When you walk into my house, it is full of love and laughter. Their toys are strewn around, their books – the house is alive because of them.' But she says there is also heartache that comes with being a foster mother. 'Nothing breaks my heart more than when I'm asked why the girls don't look like me," she said. 'Sometimes I say, 'they look like their father' or, 'not all kids look like their parents'.' Ms Albusmait has also established a community support group bringing foster parents together from across the Arab world. The platform aims to correct misconceptions and provide information on fostering. Even so, she said it's important that more foster parents come forward to share their stories. 'They're always afraid of society. For me, I want to talk about it because I know it will affect other people's lives and encourage others to foster," she said. "There are many children out there who need a family and a safe home. This won't just affect the child's life – it will affect society." She also spoke candidly on whether being foster children could lead to her daughters being bullied. 'When I asked my girls if they tell their friends they're fostered, their response was: 'This is the truth. Why should we hide it? Why should we be ashamed of it?'," she said. 'In all religions – and in Islam – fostering is permissible and encouraged for the betterment of society,' she says. 'But in Islam, adoption is not allowed, simply to avoid the mixing of lineages and bloodlines.' She was also advocating for the creation of a dedicated non-profit organisation to support foster children, not financially, but emotionally. 'These children don't just need a roof over their heads. They need stability, love, connection, and long-term emotional support,' she says. 'We need a system that can support them beyond the home.' Foster parents, she added, should be given the same rights as biological parents, including being entitled to parental leave. Narjes Al Blooshi knows exactly what that kind of support foster parents need. She became a mother to Aisha when the girl was just two-months-old. Today, Aisha is seven – and couldn't be happier. 'The day I got Aisha was the most wonderful day of my life. I felt like a mother coming home from the hospital with her newborn baby,' she said, adding that she even breastfed Aisha for a few months. 'She's my baby – and she even looks like me,' she said proudly, adding that she reminds her daughter almost every day that she is beautiful and special. 'She's the most beautiful girl in the world. And if anyone asks her if she's fostered, I've told her to say that she's special. "That's exactly what Aisha did. On adoption day at her school, she stood up on stage and spoke about her journey – as a beautiful and special child – a gift from God. My daughter is beautiful, and it's not her who should be proud. I'm the one who's proud and blessed to be her mother,' added Ms Blooshi. While adoption is not permitted in Islam, the UAE's law on the rights of children states that "a child who is deprived of his or her natural family, has the right to an alternative care through a foster family, or a public or private social welfare institution, if a foster family is not available". While adoption typically establishes a legal parent-child relationship, fostering is a more limited and revocable arrangement, a legal expert explained. 'A foster child can be removed from the family under certain circumstances outlined by law. Adoption, however, does not grant authorities the same ability to terminate the relationship because it is considered a permanent parental bond, much like that between biological parents and their children,' said Diana Hamade, founder of UAE-based legal firm Attorneys at Law. Ms Albusmait was eager to convey the joy of being a foster parent so other families would know what this journey really means. 'I'd really like parents to know that anyone who fosters a kid feels like their life has changed. It's truly a blessing. Us foster parents can all confirm that. Our lives changed for the better after we fostered children," she said. 'Don't listen to anyone who advises you not to foster. Fostering is for everyone with a good and sincere heart,' she says. 'For me, it was like my life was in black and white – and now it's in colour. We need people to understand what fostering really is and what it's not. It's not charity. It's love. It's a commitment. And it changes lives – not just the children's, but yours too.'
The National
03-04-2025
- General
- The National
'My life was incomplete without them': Emirati women open up about fostering children
Aysha Albusmait is a single mum raising her two daughters Reem, 15, and Hussa, 9. Reem was only three-years-old, and Hussa just 40 days, when she became their mother. As an Emirati foster mother, Ms Albusmait told The National there needs to be more awareness about what's involved with fostering children in the UAE, from starting the process to providing emotional support for foster parents. When asked why she decided to foster children, Ms Albusmait takes a deep breath. 'I think the question to ask is why I didn't foster them earlier. My life was incomplete without them. It was like a missing puzzle piece in my life,' she said. 'Today, my life is complete with Reem and Hussa. When you walk into my house, it is full of love and laughter. Their toys are strewn around, their books – the house is alive because of them.' But she says there is also heartache that comes with being a foster mother. 'Nothing breaks my heart more than when I'm asked why the girls don't look like me," she said. 'Sometimes I say, 'they look like their father' or, 'not all kids look like their parents'.' Ms Albusmait, who is a doctor of political science, has also established a community support group bringing foster parents together from across the Arab world. The platform aims to correct misconceptions and provide information on fostering. Even so, she said it's important that more foster parents come forward to share their stories. 'They're always afraid of society. For me, I want to talk about it because I know it will affect other people's lives and encourage others to foster," she said. "There are many children out there who need a family and a safe home. This won't just affect the child's life – it will affect society." She also spoke candidly on whether being foster children could lead to her daughters being bullied. 'When I asked my girls if they tell their friends they're fostered, their response was: 'This is the truth. Why should we hide it? Why should we be ashamed of it?'," she said. 'In all religions – and in Islam – fostering is permissible and encouraged for the betterment of society,' she says. 'But in Islam, adoption is not allowed, simply to avoid the mixing of lineages and bloodlines.' She was also advocating for the creation of a dedicated non-profit organisation to support foster children, not financially, but emotionally. 'These children don't just need a roof over their heads. They need stability, love, connection, and long-term emotional support,' she says. 'We need a system that can support them beyond the home.' Foster parents, she added, should be given the same rights as biological parents, including being entitled to parental leave. Narjes Al Blooshi knows exactly what that kind of support foster parents need. She became a mother to Aisha when the girl was just two-months-old. Today, Aisha is seven – and couldn't be happier. 'The day I got Aisha was the most wonderful day of my life. I felt like a mother coming home from the hospital with her newborn baby,' she said, adding that she even breastfed Aisha for a few months. 'She's my baby – and she even looks like me,' she said proudly, adding that she reminds her daughter almost every day that she is beautiful and special. 'She's the most beautiful girl in the world. And if anyone asks her if she's fostered, I've told her to say that she's special. "That's exactly what Aisha did. On adoption day at her school, she stood up on stage and spoke about her journey – as a beautiful and special child – a gift from God. My daughter is beautiful, and it's not her who should be proud. I'm the one who's proud and blessed to be her mother,' added Ms Blooshi. While adoption is not permitted in Islam, the UAE's law on the rights of children states that "a child who is deprived of his or her natural family, has the right to an alternative care through a foster family, or a public or private social welfare institution, if a foster family is not available". While adoption typically establishes a legal parent-child relationship, fostering is a more limited and revocable arrangement, a legal expert explained. 'A foster child can be removed from the family under certain circumstances outlined by law. Adoption, however, does not grant authorities the same ability to terminate the relationship because it is considered a permanent parental bond, much like that between biological parents and their children,' said Diana Hamade, founder of UAE-based legal firm Attorneys at Law. Ms Albusmait was eager to convey the joy of being a foster parent so other families would know what this journey really means. 'I'd really like parents to know that anyone who fosters a kid feels like their life has changed. It's truly a blessing. Us foster parents can all confirm that. Our lives changed for the better after we fostered children," she said. 'Don't listen to anyone who advises you not to foster. Fostering is for everyone with a good and sincere heart,' she says. 'For me, it was like my life was in black and white – and now it's in colour. We need people to understand what fostering really is and what it's not. It's not charity. It's love. It's a commitment. And it changes lives – not just the children's, but yours too.'
