Muscat: The rate of infertility is on the rise in Oman with one out of five couples facing difficulty in conceiving.
The fertility rate has dropped to 3.3 births per woman in recent years as against 8.6 births per woman in 1988, a more than 50 per cent decline in 20 years, reported Oman Observer.
According to in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) experts, careers and late marriages are reasons of infertility, which leads to delayed pregnancies.
They also blame the dwindling rate of fertility on sedentary lifestyle, obesity and consumption of tobacco, which impacted reproductive rates across the world.
Prof Dr Human M Fatemi, reproductive medicine specialist who introduced the most sophisticated Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) in the GCC said that the rate of infertility and impotence is on the rise in other countries in the world.
“Worldwide, millions of couples are facing the issue of infertility and they look forward to having their own families. This has given birth, over the last few years, to IVF technology resulting in a notable IVF baby boom,” said Dr Francisco Ruiz, Specialist IVF/ Reproductive Endocrinology.
More than eight million babies were born as a result of IVF and other advanced fertility treatments across the world, an international committee monitoring progress in assisted reproduction has found.