On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown was born, becoming the first human conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Her birth marked a significant milestone in reproductive medicine, demonstrating the viability of IVF as a method for assisting couples with infertility. Louise's successful birth opened the door for millions of individuals and couples to achieve their dreams of parenthood through assisted reproductive technologies.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process of fertilization where an egg is combined with sperm outside the body, in a laboratory setting. The key steps involved in IVF include:
- Ovarian Stimulation: The woman takes fertility medications to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs.
- Egg Retrieval: The mature eggs are collected from the ovaries using a minor surgical procedure called follicular aspiration.
- Sperm Collection: A sperm sample is provided by the male partner or a sperm donor.
- Fertilization: The eggs and sperm are combined in a laboratory dish to allow fertilization. This can occur through conventional insemination or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
- Embryo Culture: The fertilized eggs (embryos) are monitored and cultured in the lab for a few days.
- Embryo Transfer: One or more healthy embryos are selected and transferred into the woman’s uterus with the hope of achieving a successful pregnancy.
If the embryo implants successfully, it results in pregnancy. IVF has helped countless individuals and couples overcome infertility challenges and has advanced reproductive medicine significantly since its inception.
