Health
Reversed Abortion Could Cause Heavy Bleeding, Birth Defects – Experts
Medical experts have warned pregnant women against taking high doses of progesterone in an attempt to reverse or no stop a medical abortion already in progress, noting that they are at risk of haemorrhage (heavy bleeding) and giving birth to babies with abnormalities.
An American non-governmental organisation, Heartbeat International has been propagating the use of Abortion Pill Reversal, claiming that a pregnant woman can reverse the course of an abortion with high intake of progesterone.
However, health practitioners have described the claim by the Christian right anti-abortion outfit as misleading, warning that it lacks scientific evidence.
Speaking in an interview with The Tide’s source, a Pharmacist, Emeka Duru, said taking high doses of progesterone injection in an attempt to reverse a medical abortion is unsafe and exposes the woman to haemorrhage, blood clotting and blockage of the fallopian tubes.
Duru, who is a past National Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, maintained that there is no evidence in that progesterone can stop an ongoing abortion.
He said, “Pregnancy is a natural thing and it takes a natural process for it to be established in the womb. The termination process of such established pregnancy is unnatural. And then you have already commenced the process of abortion in and then, you go ahead to take another drug, a steroid to reverse it.
“This should not be encouraged because there must be some very fatal and dangerous effects. It will result in some gynaecological issues that may not be established right away, probably after a while.
Continuing, the pharmacist said, “We encourage Nigerians to only buy drugs that are registered by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and must have gone through the process of research in our institutes, like the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development.
“If a drug is already in the global market, and is to come to Nigeria, any Nigerian that wants to purchase this type of drug must make sure that such drug is registered with NAFDAC, for it to be legal in Nigeria or for it to be legally used in Nigeria.”
Duru urged Nigerians to avoid drugs considered to be dangerous, especially prescription drugs.
He noted that when it comes to using drugs registered by NAFDAC, the intended user must get a doctor’s prescription and also get it from the right source; that is from a registered pharmacy that is manned by a pharmacist to avoid health issues.
He enjoined pharmacists to desist from practices that go against the ethics of the profession and to also ensure that they do not encourage the use of drugs not registered medications, not certified by NAFDAC.
On his part, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr. Joseph Akinde, said taking high doses of progesterone may reverse abortion in progress.
He, however, noted that the reversal is not always 100 per cent and the foetus may develop abnormalities.
Akinde, a past Chairman, Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, said, “If the effect of the mifepristone is not nullified by the high doses of the progesterone that the woman took, then the abortion process will go to completion.
“So, the woman will be disappointed. On the other hand, she may be lucky, but she may still end up losing the pregnancy despite the fact that she had taken high doses of progesterone.”
Speaking on the health implications, the gynaecologist said if the drug succeeds in reversing the abortion, the baby may come down to with abnormalities.
He said women should be cautious when taking reproductive health decisions, reiterating that the intake of high doses of progesterone may not reverse the abortion and that they may end up losing the pregnancy.
The way Abortion Pill Reversal works, according to experts, is that a pregnant woman who intends to abort within the first three months will first have to ingest mifepristone, after which she is expected to complete the process usually between 24 and 48 hours later with a second medication called misoprostol.
This is technically referred to as medical abortion and it must be strictly done under the supervision of a competent physician.
Abortion is illegal in Nigeria except if it becomes imperative for the safety of the mother or for medical reasons as may be advised by a competent physician.
Experts warn that once a pregnant woman takes mifepristone, the abortion will begin and that it is irreversible.
According to the World Health Organisation, six out of 10, of all unintended pregnancies end in an induced abortion.
“Around 45 per cent of all abortions are unsafe, of which 97 per cent take place in developing countries. Unsafe abortion is a leading – but preventable – cause of maternal deaths and morbidities.”It can lead to physical and mental health complications, and social and financial burdens for women, communities and health systems”, WHO stated.
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Two United States scientists who unraveled the human micro RNA have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024.
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the coveted prize for their work on microRNA as their discoveries help explain how complex life emerged on earth and how the human body is made up of a wide variety of different tissues.
MicroRNAs influence how genes – the instructions for life – are controlled inside organisms, including humans.
Every cell in the human body contains the same raw genetic information, locked in our DNA.
However, despite starting with the identical genetic information, the cells of the human body are wildly different in form and function.
The electrical impulses of nerve cells are distinct from the rhythmic beating of heart cells. The metabolic powerhouse that is a liver cell is distinct to a kidney cell, which filters urea out of the blood.
The light-sensing abilities of cells in the retina are different in skillset to white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection.
So much variety can arise from the same starting material because of gene expression.
The US scientists were the first to discover microRNAs and how they exerted control on how genes are expressed differently in different tissues.
The medicine and physiology prize winners are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
They said: “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
“It is now known that the human genome codes for over 1,000 microRNAs.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun acting to curb effects of antibiotic pollution.
The new guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for antibiotic manufacturing sheds light on this important but neglected challenge ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) taking place on 26 September 2024.
The emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic pollution could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including the medicines produced at the manufacturing sites responsible for the pollution.
Despite high antibiotic pollution levels being widely documented, the issue is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions. In addition, once distributed, there is a lack of information provided to consumers on how to dispose of antibiotics when they are not used, for example, when they expire or when a course is finished but there is still antibiotic left over.
“Pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic manufacturing can facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread globally and threaten our health. Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to keeping these life-saving medicines effective for everyone,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for AMR ad interim.
Globally, there is a lack of accessible information on the environmental damage caused by manufacturing of medicines.
“The guidance provides an independent and impartial scientific basis for regulators, procurers, inspectors, and industry themselves to include robust antibiotic pollution control in their standards,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “Critically, the strong focus on transparency will equip buyers, investors and the general public to make decisions that account for manufacturers’ efforts to control antibiotic pollution.”
In a concerted effort to curb brain drain, the Kebbi State Government has harmonised medical doctors’ salaries to be at par with their colleagues in the federal government’s tertiary health facilities.
Kebbi State Commissioner for Health, Musa Inusa-Isma’il, disclosed this at the handing over of ambulances to the state-owned health facilities at the Ministry of Health in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
Inusa Isma’il, according to a statement by Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the essence of the harmonisation was to retain the existing medical doctors and attract more to the services of the state.
According to him, the doctors across the state had already started enjoying the new salaries from August 2024.
He said the release of the vehicles was in fulfilment of Governor Nasir Idris’ promise to uplift health care services in the state.
“His Excellency said I should inform you, the beneficiaries of this gesture, that the vehicle should be strictly used for the intended purpose. It should not be used for anything else.
“If there is no referral case, each of the vehicles must be parked at the hospital by 6 pm. The governor said you should warn your drivers against reckless driving as well as violating the instructions.
“We should also do everything possible to reciprocate the gesture by working according to the terms and conditions attached,” he advised.
The benefiting health facilities included Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi; State Teaching Hospital, Kalgo; General Hospital, Argungu; General Hospital, Yauri; General Hospital, Zuru; and General Hospital, Bunza.
In his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shehu Koko, recalled that the ambulances were handed over to the ministry last Friday by the governor for the onward handover to the benefiting hospitals.
He observed that the ambulances would go a long way in improving the referral system in the state, adding that delays in reaching the secondary and tertiary facilities would be eliminated.
The permanent secretary attributed the high rate of maternal mortality in the country to delays in getting to the health facilities for proper medical care.
“We believe with the provision of these ambulances, part of the gaps we have in our referral system will be addressed, whereby patients who require secondary healthcare could be easily transported to secondary and tertiary health centres, where they can get such help,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Commissioner for Information and Culture Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed expressed gratitude to the governor for the support he has given to the ministry to excel.
While advising the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously, the commissioner advised that services and maintenance of the vehicles must be prompt to derive the maximum benefits from the vehicles.
The commissioner also highlighted some achievements recorded by the government in the last year, including beautification of the state capital, completion of a multimillion-naira ultramodern state secretariat, road construction, construction and renovation of classrooms and upgrading of some health facilities, among others.
