Fertilization that occurs in glass or a test tube.
An artificial insemination technique in which an egg (ovum) is removed from a woman, and placed in a laboratory dish with sperm from the husband or a sperm donor. The fertilized egg is then implanted in the woman’s uterus to start a pregnancy.
A method of assisted reproductive technology for treating infertility. In vitro fertilization (IVF) involves several steps leading to the fertilization of one or more of a woman’s eggs outside her body. An egg or eggs are removed, fertilized in the laboratory, and reinserted into the woman’s uterus or fallopian tube. IVF was widely used in animal research long before it was first successfully applied to human reproduction in 1978.
Laboratory produced conception, used to enable pregnancy in infertile women when sperm access to ova is prevented by structural defects in the fallopian tubes or other factors, or in combination with her partner’s sterility. After drug induced follicle maturation, a sample of ova and follicular fluid is removed surgically and mixed with a specimen of the partner’s sperm for incubation. The resulting zygote is introduced into the woman’s uterus for implantation.
A procedure in which a number of eggs are removed from a woman’s ovaries after they have been stimulated by a fertility drug, and then are fertilized by a man’s sperm in a laboratory. Children born as a result of IVF are sometimes known as “test tube babies.”
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a method employed to address infertility cases where the cause is unidentified, untreatable, or if there’s a blockage in a fallopian tube. IVF is also utilized for couples dealing with genetic disorders, as it allows the screening of embryos for irregularities before implantation. The IVF process entails surgically retrieving an egg from the ovary and fertilizing it externally.
The woman undergoes treatment with fertility medications to promote the maturation of eggs. Subsequently, ultrasound monitoring is carried out to observe these mature eggs. Just before ovulation, these eggs are harvested with the aid of ultrasound, either through a laparoscopic procedure or transvaginally, while the woman is under sedation. In the lab, these eggs are then combined with sperm, typically from the partner, though sometimes from a donor. They are kept at body temperature for roughly 48 hours to facilitate fertilization. Subsequently, two or more fertilized eggs are transferred to the woman’s uterus using a slender tube inserted through the cervix. If these eggs successfully implant into the uterine lining, the pregnancy typically progresses in the usual manner.
Several IVF rounds might be required to achieve a successful pregnancy. Some adaptations of this method, such as gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), are less intricate than the foundational technique.