Introduction
● In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process by which an egg is fertilised by sperm outside the
body: in vitro.
● Evolved as a major treatment protocol for infertility.
● The term in vitro, from the Latin meaning in glass, is used, as early biological experiments
involving cultivation of tissues outside the living organism were carried out in glass containers
such as beakers, test tubes, or petri dishes.
A colloquial term for babies conceived as the result of IVF, is "test tube babies"
What is IVF?
● Fertilization "in glass"
● Process of creating an embryo by artificially putting eggs and sperm together
● Alternative method of creating an embryo/ biological baby
> Referred to as "test tube babies"
1st step
The cycle includes 19 shots, seven patches, and 126 pills
(for drugs needed in 1 cycle)
● 2 weeks of estrogen pills to stop menstrual cycle
● Doctor can "reset" the clock and monitor process
○ Injecting: Follistim and Menopur
● hormone extracted from the urine of postmenopausal women
● Goal -› increase the number of eggs the body releases per month & strengthen them
Process Tracking the
›Woman's eggs are too small to be seen on an ultrasound
● Halfway through the cycle doctor counts follicles in woman's ovaries
○ Fluid-filled sacks the eggs grow inside
● Track how well fertility medications are working
● If not enough, process will have to start all over
Blood is drawn daily to track hormone levels
2nd
● Woman:
●
When eggs have grown and matured -› removed from uterus
● Process includes: pain medication, a doctor, nurses, a catheter, an ultrasound, a
microscope, and an embryologist.
● Man: Sperm retrieval
3rd step
● ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm
Injection)
● Minutes after extraction, embryologists implants one healthy sperm into each freshly
removed egg
● Several days later, embryologist looks at Petri dishes under a microscope to see whether
any of the eggs has transformed into a blastocyst
● the cluster of five cells that will eventually divide
4th step
● Implementation
● A catheter is used to snake the blastocyst inside the uterus
● Place embryo in the exact spot
"Babies on ice"
● Remaining fertilized eggs are frozen
5th step
If successful =pregnancy
Issue
● The percentage of success when performing IVF, depends on the number of embryos
transferred to the uterus. Therefore, the more transfers that are done, the greater the chance
that the woman has of becoming pregnant.
● This creates many risks for both the mother and the embryo. To begin with, mental and
physical threats are presented to the mother (these include: high blood pressure or uterine
bleeding). Also, medical costs run high with issues such as these.
Process and procedures embyro
