- Title:
- After 37 Years What′s in Store for IVF? A Look Ahead on the Trends and Developments That Are Shaping the Future of Reproductive Medicine
- Journal:
- Journal of Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, August 07, 2015
- Author(s):
- Zeev Shoham1 and Milton Leong2
- Author(s) affiliation:
- 1IVF Unit, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel, Affiliated with the Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
2The Women’s Clinic, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Short description:
- The birth of Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby, in July 1978, marked the beginning of a new era in reproductive medicine. In a world where one in every six couples encounters infertility, IVF technology was considered, at the time, no less than a miracle.
The IVF technique of the late ‘70s used oocyte retrieval in a natural ovulatory cycle. IVF has since become common practice, no longer regarded as a miraculous phenomenon. So far, more than 5 million babies have been born worldwide through IVF, and great strides have been made in optimizing assisted reproductive technology.
The 80’s saw development in embryo culture media and stimulation protocols, as GnRH agonists were introduced. A technology of the 90’s aimed to reduce male factor infertility and genetic infertility. Advancements such as preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), genetic screening (PGS) and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of both ejaculated and testicular sperm were introduced.
In the early 2000, embryo cryopreservation, assisted hatching and egg donation contributed greatly to the optimal use of surplus embryos.
In the world in which we live today, it is common for women to postpone childbearing well into their fourth or fifth decade. New family types have also emerged. Advanced fertility diagnosis and treatment technologies continue to develop in accordance with these new social realities.
The purpose of this editorial is to discuss recent pivotal developments in the field of IVF that promise higher rates of successful pregnancies and healthy babies. - Link to the journal
