On the occasion of International Fertility Day, the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences (FNHS) at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU), in collaboration with Now Fertility, invited 5 international and local experts, Dr. Antoine Abu Musa, Ms. Stephanie Baddour, Dr. Luciano Nardo, Ms. Jacqueline Safi, and Dr. Alain Chalhoub, to discuss fertility from a multidisciplinary perspective. The main topics included telehealth in light of the pandemic, the role of nutrition in alleviating infertility, advancements in fertility treatments, and the ethical dimension of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Moderated by Ms. Maya Abou Jaoude, Chairperson of the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, the specialists convened in the Friends Hall with students, faculty, and staff in attendance.
The opening address was given by Dr. Jessy El Hayek, Dean of the FNHS, who welcomed the guest speakers and introduced the topics of discussion. Covering the issue of telehealth was Dr. Abu Musa, OB/GYN, whose presentation highlighted the effects of doctor-patient consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic, where remote appointments and providing digital resources were prioritized. With the health risks of the coronavirus being mitigated, there has been a return to in-person consultations; however, Dr. Abu Musa brought attention to the lessons learned through digital appointments, which ultimately increased the accessibility of healthcare in terms of both convenience and reduced costs. Further, telehealth raised the opportunity to create digital platforms that helped familiarize patients with their ailments and conditions, facilitating the communication with their doctors.
Zeroing in on fertility, the overarching theme of the seminar, the subsequent speakers provided insight into the roles that the health sector plays. Ms. Baddour, Registered Dietician, traced the effects of diet on fertility, emphasizing the nutritional quality of food and overall body composition of women and men who are experiencing difficulties conceiving a child. Although an unbalanced diet, undereating, and mineral and vitamin deficiencies are all contributing factors to infertility, the positive aspect, Ms. Baddour pointed out, is that nutrition and health are relatively simple areas to improve without invasive bodily treatments, an avenue that respects one’s bodily rhythms and acts on the frontline of facilitating fertility. Dr. Nardo, OB/GYN, spoke next about in vitro fertilization acting as an alternative to natural conception, discussing the technological development of the practice and its success rate. Ms. Jacqueline Safi, Registered Midwife, shared her career in the field as a fertility nurse and her work in supporting couples dealing with infertility. Finally, Dr. Chalhoub, OB/GYN, shed light on the ethical principles of in vitro fertilization, particularly its implications on the concept of the person, the soul, and the ramifications of eugenics. Dr. Chalhoub stressed the religious dimension of IVF, as it involves the artificial insemination of several ova, simultaneously planted in the uterus, with few chances of all of them attaching to the uterine lining and surviving the pregnancy, in addition to the removal of sexual intercourse from the role of creation.
As children are a gift from God, infertility is a struggle that many couples face, typically paired with a stigma on the woman, who is often perceived to have failed at being a mother, increasing the pressure of a potential pregnancy. In discussing fertility and healthy pregnancies, it is important to cultivate a culture of compassion and support, looking to respect the vocation of motherhood and fatherhood, as well as the human soul. Pope Paul VI’s papal encyclical, Humanae Vitae, details the sanctity of the person and the spirit, a source of contemplation on the dignity of humanity and life, a crux of NDU’s mission statement.