IN VITRO FERTILIZATION

In Vitro Fertilization

In Vitro Fertilization

Introduction

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) involves the combination of an unfertilized oocyte and spermatozoa in a Petri dish to allow fertilization to occur. Subsequent cleavage of the newly formed zygote can be supported in vitro by various culture conditions. Transfer of embryos into the uterus has resulted in pregnancy and live births in many mammalian species. Embryos cultured to the blastocyst stage have provided a source for embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells have the capacity to renew and to differentiate into many cells of the body, a term known as potency. Therefore, in vitro fertilization provides a clinical application for infertility issues as well as a research avenue to understand early development (Gary, 2006).

History

Although the process of reproduction has been of interest to both science and philosophy since Aristotle's time, the first example of in vitro fertilization was shown by Lazaro Spallanzani (1729-99) when he demonstrated that tadpoles only developed if oocytes came into contact with semen. Much later, Yanagimachi and Chang (1963) reported the fertilization of hamster oocytes with capacitated sperm which prefaced the successes in human in vitro fertilization. The first live birth from human in vitro fertilization was in 1978, by Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards in the United Kingdom. Since then, the in vitro fertilization procedure has become a routine treatment option for patients dealing with infertility.

Positives

VF was originally developed to treat infertility due to blocked or absent fallopian tubes in women under thirty-five years of age. The use of IVF has expanded considerably over the years, and it is now considered to be a treatment for ovulation dysfunction in women, male infertility, and infertility of unknown etiology. Some IVF facilities offer egg donation programs so women without ovaries or women whose advanced age or menopausal status makes successful conception impossible can achieve pregnancy. Embryos can be frozen and stored indefinitely for later use, for donation to other couples, or for transfer to the uterus of a surrogate mother. Embryos can also be screened for genetic disorders prior to transferring them to a woman's uterus (Peter, 2009).

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine publishes an annual report detailing success rates for IVF clinics in the United States. Success rates vary depending upon patient age, fresh or frozen embryo use and a variety of other factors. Data from 2002 shows that on average for every egg retrieval procedure a woman undergoes she ...