IVF is not a baby grown in a test tube Often, people have the misconception that an IVF baby is a child grown in a test tube, that it does not require the mother to endure the pain of pregnancy, and that with a test tube, everything is done. In fact, this is a big mistake. IVF is also known as in vitro fertilization – embryo transfer. Specifically, with the help of an endoscope or under the guidance of ultrasound, mature eggs are removed from the ovaries of a woman suffering from infertility, and the sperm and eggs are placed together in a Petri dish and cultured in vitro for about three days to fertilize the eggs, which are then sent to the mother’s uterus under ultrasound monitoring. The eggs are then fertilized and sent to the mother’s uterus under ultrasound monitoring, where they gradually develop into a fetus. In other words, IVF goes through a three-step process of egg retrieval – fertilization – implantation, and finally matures in the mother’s womb until delivery. IVF conception rate is equivalent to natural pregnancy With the in-depth research on the basic theories of reproductive medicine, the treatment of infertility has made a major breakthrough in the last decade, and IVF can be considered one of the most successful ones. Currently, the success rate of IVF fertilization in China can be as high as 20-30%, which is almost the same as the success rate of natural pregnancy, which is no more than 27% per month for a couple of normal reproductive age. However, the cost of IVF includes the cost of drugs and surgery, and the cost of doing a case of IVF is also higher because of the high cost of ovulation-promoting drugs and the high external conditions required for egg fertilization and embryo development. Therefore, according to Dr. Nguyen, if an infertile couple wants IVF, they should consider their own financial resources, as well as their confidence and determination to have a baby, in addition to meeting the physical requirements. In general, younger patients with good ovarian responsiveness have a higher chance of success and require a slightly lower cost. The average cost of an IVF procedure is roughly around$20,000. As an infertile couple before deciding to undergo IVF, a series of rigorous examinations by the doctor are required, and then the patient usually undergoes controlled superovulation with medications (clomiphene, menopausal urotropin, folliculopoietin, etc.) to induce multiple follicle development starting on the third day of menstruation. Continuous daily ultrasound monitoring of the follicular cervical mucus score and adjustment of the dosage of follicle stimulating medication are started around the ninth day of menstruation, and the time of egg retrieval is determined according to the development of the follicles. The egg retrieval procedure takes only a few minutes to complete. The eggs are cultured in a special culture for several hours and the semen is treated with different laboratory methods to obtain fertilization capacity and then added to the culture containing the eggs. If the eggs are fertilized and develop normally, embryo transfer is performed 48 hours after egg retrieval. Embryo transfer is a relatively simple procedure with no discomfort to the patient. IVF technique mainly includes: 1) super ovulation; 2) follicle monitoring; 3) egg retrieval procedure; 4) in vitro processing of sperm and eggs; 5) in vitro fertilization; 6) in vitro culture of embryos; 7) embryo transfer. There is no doubt that this is a high, sophisticated and advanced technology that requires a group of experienced and specialized personnel, certain equipment and necessary drugs. For infertility, such as infertility caused by tubal lesions, the main focus in the early stage is on the rectification of the fallopian tubes, but this treatment makes the patient’s chances of conception not ideal, while the chances of ectopic pregnancy increase accordingly. The surgical treatment is painful for the patient and re-adhesion may occur after surgery. Tuboplasty and tubal reversal have helped some patients to solve their fertility problems, but the overall results were not satisfactory. It was not until the discovery in the 1960s that human eggs could be fertilized in vitro that Edwards and Steptoe, after overcoming many difficulties, finally gave birth to the world’s first “test-tube baby” in 1978. This technology was highly praised by the medical community as “the second greatest medical miracle after organ transplantation”. The first IVF case in China was born in 1988. IVF brings hope to infertile people Although China has been adhering to the family planning policy for many years, it has always attached great importance to infertile couples and has allocated a large amount of funds every year to support the development of reproductive medicine. At present, the total incidence of infertility among couples of childbearing age in China is 10%, and several hospitals have carried out IVF technology. According to the report, the IVF baby born on November 16 is a second-generation IVF baby. The baby’s mother had bilateral blocked fallopian tubes and the father had low sperm motility, and they could neither conceive naturally nor use conventional IVF techniques, so doctors implemented single sperm intracytoplasmic microinjection for them, commonly known as second-generation IVF techniques. The first-generation IVF technique, also known as in vitro fertilization, mainly addresses infertility caused by the female partner, such as blocked fallopian tubes, abnormal ovulation disorders, cervical problems, immune factors and other unknown causes. The second generation IVF technology, on the other hand, mainly addresses infertility caused by male causes, such as oligospermia or weak spermatozoa. The third generation IVF technology refers to taking a cell for genetic diagnosis before embryo transfer, which can also perform gender identification. This technology can guarantee a healthy baby for parents with a family history of genetic diseases. Currently, the third generation IVF technology is in the experimental research stage in several hospitals in Beijing, and the first third generation IVF case in China has been born in Guangzhou. This has sparked new hope for many families, and the ever-changing medical technology has allowed more and more people to enjoy the joy of family life.