In Vitro Fertilization
Introduction
Infertility is the inability of a couple to become pregnant
(regardless of cause) after 1 year of unprotected sexual
intercourse -using no birth control methods.
Infertility affects about 6.1 million people in the United States,
about 10% of men and women of reproductive age. New and advanced
technologies to help a woman become pregnant include in vitro
fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and
other similar procedures.
IVF was used successfully for the first time in the United States
in 1981. More than 250,000 babies have been born since then as a
result of using the in vitro fertilization technique. IVF offers
infertile couples a chance to have a child who is biologically
related to them.
With IVF, a method of assisted reproduction, a man's sperm and the
woman's egg are combined in a laboratory dish, where fertilization
occurs. The resulting embryo is then transferred to the woman's
uterus (womb) to implant and develop naturally. Usually, 2-4
embryos are placed in the woman's uterus at one time. Each attempt
is called a cycle.
The term test tube baby is often used to refer to children
conceived with this technique. The first so-called test tube baby,
Louise Brown, reached age 25 years in 2003. She was born in
England.
Less than 5% of infertile couples actually use IVF. IVF is usually
the treatment of choice for a woman with blocked, severely
damaged, or no fallopian tubes. IVF is also used to overcome
infertility caused by endometriosis or problems with the man's
sperm (such as low sperm count). Couples who simply can't conceive
and have tried other infertility methods that have not worked for
them can also try IVF.
Factors to Consider
Age: Women younger than 35 years who do not have problems
with their partners' sperm may try IVF.
Multiple births: Generally, in women who use IVF to
establish a live birth, about 63% are single babies, 32% are
twins, and 5% are triplets or more.
Reduced surgery: If a woman has IVF, she may not have to
undergo surgery on her fallopian tubes. It is estimated that the
IVF technique has reduced such surgeries by half.
Safety: Studies suggest that in vitro fertilization is
safe. A recent study covered nearly 1,000 children conceived
through these methods in 5 European countries and found that the
children, monitored from birth to age 5 years, were as healthy as
children conceived naturally. However, other studies have found a
slightly increased risk of genetic disorders in children conceived
through assisted reproductive technologies.
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