Since the opening of the second child policy, there has been a gradual increase in the number of people coming to our clinic for second child requests, including many middle-aged couples. Environmental and age factors have significantly reduced the natural conception rate, and some studies have shown that the age of the pregnant mother is positively correlated with the pregnancy of a genetically defective fetus. For pregnant mothers who are too old, have poor health or genetic risks and want a smart and healthy baby, IVF may be a better solution to this problem. Some media predict that China will become the world’s largest IVF market within two to three years. What is IVF a technology? IVF is also known as in vitro fertilization (where both eggs and sperm are taken outside the body and allowed to complete the fertilization process in an artificially controlled environment) and then the embryos are transferred into the woman’s uterus to conceive a baby. Currently, IVF has developed to the fourth generation. Each generation has no advantages or disadvantages and is suitable for different people, and patients should choose according to their actual situation. The first generation of IVF: After taking out the sperm and egg cells, they are placed together in a dish containing embryo culture fluid, and fertilization is completed independently in vitro, and the embryo is developed and formed before being transferred to the mother’s womb. Applicable population: It is mainly for people whose husbands have normal semen and women are infertile, such as women who have failed to conceive despite artificial insemination or other conventional treatments due to endometriosis, ovulation disorders, obstruction of fallopian tubes, obstruction of pelvic adhesions caused by egg cell transport, immune infertility or other unexplained causes of infertility. Second generation IVF: A single sperm is taken under a microscope and injected into the oocyte plasma. The oocyte is fertilized, developed into an embryo and transferred into the mother’s uterus. Applicable population: mainly for men with severe oligospermia, weak sperm or azoospermia, requiring testicular biopsy to retrieve sperm, male immune infertility or failure of fertilization in the first generation of IVF. Third generation IVF: Multiple eggs are removed from the woman’s body and combined with the husband’s sperm in vitro to develop into embryos respectively. After a certain stage, they are tested by molecular genetic means and those with defective genes are eliminated and normal embryos are transferred to the mother’s womb to ensure the birth of a normal child. Indications: It is suitable for couples with hereditary diseases and chromosomal abnormalities, and for genetic diagnosis before embryo implantation. IVF: In IVF, the nucleus of one woman’s egg cell is transferred to another woman’s egg cell to form a new egg cell, which is then fertilized in vitro and developed into an embryo that is transferred to the woman’s uterus. This technique is controversial due to legal and ethical issues, as it involves “one father and two mothers”, although it can significantly extend a woman’s reproductive life. The population: women who are too old or in poor health, but want to have a child that is both their own and physically healthy. According to New Scientist, the world’s first “one father, two mothers” IVF baby was born in April 2016, demonstrating the successful use of the fourth generation of IVF embryo plasma exchange technology (GVT). Although the technology is controversial in terms of medical, ethical and safety aspects and is not widely used in clinical practice, what is certain is that IVF technology has made a new breakthrough from a horizontal perspective.