Designer Babies in Panama

Also read:  Designer Baby personal story on T4H blog.

There are currently specifically ethical implications in the field of genetic screening and gender selection. 

The Genetic Diagnosis was designed precisely to meet the chromosomal status of an embryo and to diagnose diseases before implantation in the womb and thereby prevent transmission of diseases or birth of babies with abnormalities.

Secondary to this you can know the sex of the embryo before being transferred to the womb. It should be noted that the laws of most developed countries prohibit sex determination only for this purpose and currently Panama does not have a law to approve or prohibit this technique.

Another interesting detail is that in Panama there is no law concerning the donation of gametes, they seek to follow the guidelines of the internationals laws on reproductive health. This states that gamete donation should be voluntary, altruistic and anonymous. Other points we required by law is to use healthy donors under 30 years, with no family history of hereditary disease, negative serological tests for infectious diseases (hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, Syphilis), a normal genetic karyotype an interview with a qualified psychologist.

The recommendation for having an infertility treatment applies to  couples who after a year of unprotected intercourse spontaneous pregnancy has failed, or where the woman is over 35 years and 6 months after attempting spontaneous pregnancy or who has not sought a pregnancy but is known to have a prior gynecological problem directly affecting fertility such as endometriosis.

Success Rates of Infertility Treatments in Panama

Our Vitro Fertilization Program is the biggest and most successful in Central America with 507 cycles (cases) in the year 2009. The 278 pregnancies obtained just in 2009, set their global rate at 55%.

Most of our patients are from Panama, Costa Rica and Florida (USA).  However we have also received some cases from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Antilles, Venezuela and the US. 

Scientists have developed medical research centers in Panama with internationally proven reputations including infertility clinics dedicated to assess and treat couples with fertility problems but also to study and research infertility problems that are increasing worldwide.  Research protocols are being developed for future treatments. 

Scientific Breakthroughs in Infertility Treatment Methods

In Panama we are working with two renowned international clinics.  One of the clinics studies the Latin American population especially in Panama and Costa Rica, and the other clinic is a branch of a European Franchise Center with a focus on researching predisposing factors of infertility, and developing methods diagnosis and gender selection. 

This puts Panama at the forefront of reproductive medicine applying the most recent scientific discoveries, like EmbryoScope, to benefit their patients

Baby Juan was the first child in the world born via a new embryo selection process called EmbryoScope which allows for an embryo to be observed in an incubator from the moment of fertilization in Vitro until it is transferred to the uterus. Juan, was born on June 4, 2010 at the Obispo Polanco de Teruel Hospital in Teruel, Spain.  (source:  Fox News Latino, Nov 3, 2010) Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2010/11/03/embryoscope-child-bor…

This selection increases the chances of successful in Vitro fertilization (IVF), by 20 percent and decreases the risk of multiple pregnancies and abortion.

Dareth and Jesse Goulding of Orem, Utah chose Ageless Wonders of Panama for their infertility procedure because of the reputation of the fertility clinic they recommended  and the treatment success ratios that were comparable or better than what they could find in the U.S. 

The Gouldings benefited from the applied the protocols and treatment obtained through the most recent discoveries and latest technology including intrauterine insemination to in vitro fertilization with pre-implant genetic diagnosis which allows for diagnosing any genetic disorders before embryo implantation. 

Said Dareth Goulding in a letter addressed to Eric De Ycaza, CEO of  Ageless Wonders of Panama and Dr. Ilka De Obaldia: 

“Dear Eric  Dr. Ilka:

I am grateful to you both for all that you have done for me and my family and making the IVF process a relaxing one.  Thank you for going above and beyond and making sure we were well taken care of and comfortable.  I appreciate all your work and think that your company is a wonderful asset to Panama and the medical tourism industry.  I really enjoyed meeting you both and am grateful that I chose the route that I did with you both.  Thanks again!”