In Vitro Fertilization

Abstract

It has been ten years since the birth of Louise Brown, the world’s first “test tube” baby, generated in England with the assistance of Drs. Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards. It is estimated that by the end of 1988, more than 12,000 babies will have been born worldwide using the medical technique called in vitro fertilization (IVF). The original fear that babies fertilized in vitro would be abnormal has not been substantiated by the early statistics and concerns now center on the complex philosophical, religious, legal and social issues surrounding the use of assisted reproduction. With trends in the United States toward more women working, later marriages and delayed child bearing, more couples desiring children are discovering that they cannot conceive naturally. In 1982 the National Center for Health Statistics estimated that 8.5% of married couples of childbearing age in the United States (2.4 million) were infertile (U.S. ... INFERTILITY..., p.9). As IVF becomes more successful, more accessible, and perhaps less expensive, more couples will consider the option of initiating pregnancy through the use of this new technology.