On July 25, 2020, we celebrated the 42nd birthday of the world's first baby conceived with IVF technology.
Modern, effective treatments for infertility have made it possible for numerous couples and people who are trying to cure infertility to finally realize their dreams of offspring and family expansion.
In 2018, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 306,197 infertility treatment cycles in the US, of which 99% of infertility treatments involved in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Although in vitro fertilization is today an effective and extremely popular method of infertility treatment, it became gradually accessible to couples around the world only in the middle of the 20th century. We will briefly evaluate the history of IVF in order to be able to understand how this branch of medicine has developed and how and in what way medical researchers around the world have contributed to the development of this discipline.
The beginnings of IVF during the 20th century
On July 25, 2020, we celebrated the 42nd birthday of the first baby in the world conceived with IVF technology, now a lady in her prime, Louise Brown. From the initial, pioneering research, which produced revolutionary results, to the modern IVF treatment for infertility, numerous scientific research engagements were required, which required time and resources.
Foundations of IVF: 1920s to 1960s
In the period between the 1920s and 1960s of the last century, numerous innovations and discoveries by scientific research experts laid the foundations of IVF procedures:
• 1923 Identified female fertility hormone estrogen;
• 1929 The female fertility hormone progesterone was also identified;
• 1943 Hormonal fertility supplements have been developed;
• 1950s IVF tests on mice and rabbits;
• In the 1960s, drugs were developed to stimulate fertility;
• 1968 The first successful attempts to extract and fertilize human eggs;
• 1969 The revolutionary first fertilization of human eggs.
Thanks to supplements and fertility drugs, doctors have been able to increase the chances of pregnancy in patients. These drugs and supplements have also enabled multidisciplinary experts to control and correctly time the egg development and ovulation, which is the key to IVF success.
1950s: Animal testing of the IVF technique
The IVF method was first used in the 1950s through medical observation and animal testing. These tests led to the most important breakthroughs in IVF, which ultimately paved the way for successful IVF treatment.
During the 1950s of the last century, Dr. Min Chueh Chang of the Worcester Foundation, successfully gave birth to baby bunnies using the IVF process. This pregnancy was of particular importance because it proved that an embryo fertilized in the laboratory can be successfully transferred to the uterus and become pregnant.
Since testing IVF methods in mice and rabbits, researchers have begun to focus on replicating the results of IVF treatments in humans, once success has been documented in animals.
1970s: Initial attempts at IVF treatment in humans
Although the first IVF procedure was tested on animals in 1959, it took some time before IVF treatment became feasible in humans. It is important to emphasize that there were several failed IVF attempts during the early 1970s.
In 1973, the medical journal Lancet published research by an Australian team at Monash University who managed to achieve the first IVF pregnancy, but the pregnancy ended in miscarriage a few days later. In 1976, some expert studies recorded an extrauterine (ectopic) pregnancy with the use of IVF, which was not viable given the circumstances and technology of the time.
Pored ovih neuspješnih pokušaja vantjelesne oplodnje, treba spomenuti i kontroverzni pokušaj vantjelesne oplodnje 1973. godine, doktora Landrum Shettlesa iz New Yorka. On je pokušao provesti tajnu IVF proceduru u Columbia Presbyterian bolnici. Supervizor dr. Shettlesa osujetio je pokušaj postupka jer je trebao biti izveden bez ikakvog nadzora pacijenta.
1978: The first person born through the IVF process
We had to wait until 1978 when the first successful IVF pregnancy and birth was recorded.
dr. Patrick Steptoe et al. Robert Edwards performed the procedure in England, which resulted in the birth of Louise Brown on July 25, 1978. Louise is still alive and well today, and is living proof of the success of innovations made over several decades.
With the first live birth of an IVF baby, family building has become more affordable and common for couples around the world. After Brown's successful conception, the media put the spotlight on infertility treatments for those unable to conceive, and other couples began to proactively seek help for infertility.
1980s: IVF goes mainstream
Although doctors have proven that the IVF procedure can be performed safely and successfully, it took a period of time for IVF to become accessible to the masses.
This is exactly what happened during the 1980s, when more and more people turned to IVF and other procedures in order to get a chance to realize a pregnancy and expand their family. Improvements in the fields of medical equipment and the refinement of IVF techniques will be perfected over the coming decades.
By 1986, over 1,000 children were born using IVF methods. The 40-year journey of developing IVF has put the problem of infertility in the public discourse and changed millions of lives around the world. This development of technology was perceived as a miracle of the 20th century and still produces remarkable results.
Learn more about IVF procedures
We have much to learn from the history of IVF development. Medical experts around the world continuously work to improve this branch of medicine. With today's effective technology, IVF treatment focuses on the development of pre-implantation genetic testing as well as on reducing the cost of treatments used for infertility problems.
But it is important to understand that the history of IVF methods is still being written today and that we do not know what the future will bring.
It is important to note that the history of the development of IVF methods is still being written and that in the future we can expect even better efficiency and improvement in the statistical results of successfully realized in vitro fertilization using these modern procedures.
For any additional questions, the New Life polyclinic is at your disposal.
Contact us via our free info number 080 020 311 or e-mail address: info@newlife.ba.
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