Thirty Years After First IVF Baby: What Will The Future Bring?

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 18 Jul 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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With July 25 marking the thirtieth birthday of the world's first "test-tube baby," Charlotte fertility specialists say that much of the initial worries over the brave new world of in vitro fertilization (IVF) have given way to unforeseen sociological and medical developments that few could have predicted over the last three decades -- accompanied at the same time by the rise of new issues beyond healthcare.

"Prior to IVF, infertility care was primarily a surgical specialty related to uterine and tubal surgery for women," said Dr. Jack Crain of Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte. When Louise Joy Brown was born on July 25, 1978 in England, Crain was early in his reproductive medicine career.

Advancements in embryology technology have brought medical breakthroughs and greater reproductive freedom. The combination, said Crain, has put the maturing medical specialty under a different kind of lens than was the case in 1978.

"Nobody could believe it when the Brown baby was born," Crain said. "Doctors had been trying for years, but there were many technological problems. Fortunately, much of the initial religious concern has been allayed by education and acceptance of the medical benefits of IVF."

During the last few decades, advancements in embryology technology and now-routine procedures such as ultrasound have dramatically improved reproductive medicine with higher success rates, Crain said. In vitro pregnancy rates soar far beyond those in early days of IVF, when most women had a 5 to 10 percent chance of conceiving through IVF. Today, the average is better than one in three.

"We will probably always face unresolved issues around embryo technology," Crain said.

About Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte (REACH)

REACH is led by a nationally recognized team of six physicians who offer comprehensive, state-of-the-art assistance for infertile couples and women with reproductive endocrine problems. REACH physicians, all long-time practitioners in Charlotte, are widely respected for their superior pregnancy success rates -- among the highest in the region -- and for the finest patient care. REACH is a member of the IntegraMed Fertility network. For additional information, visit http://www.reachdrs.com.

REACH
http://www.reachdrs.com