In Vitro Fertilization

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In my opinion, In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one of the greatest breakthroughs in Medical Biotechnology in the last 50 years. Finding out you are infertile can be heart-breaking and distressing. After trying for long periods of time, some couples are not able to conceive. Thankfully, this problem many couples have can be fixed by In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), a process that was developed and used in Britain first more than 30 years ago by Doctors Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards. In 1978, the world’s first IVF baby was born into the world and since thousands and thousands of babies have been born every year using this method.
IVF is a popular treatment for many couples worldwide who are experiencing problems or are infertile as it gives them the chance to become pregnant themselves. But yet, there are many ethical and legal issues associated with IVF treatment especially in the Catholic Church regarding the meaning of a human life alive or unborn, the rights of an individual, scientific experiment while using potential human life and its cost.

In Vitro Fertilisation literally means ‘fertilisation in glass’. The process of IVF comprises of mixing the woman’s egg and the man’s sperm outside of the woman’s body, normally in a petri dish. If fertilisation is successful, the embryos that were formed in the petri dish are now transferred to the woman’s uterus to better chances of pregnancy. Louise Joy Brown, became the world first successful “test-tube” Baby born in July 1978. She was born in the United Kingdom by IVF treatment carried out by Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards.
Retrieved: (IVF Description. Studymode.2011)

The Procedure of IVF involves several stages:

1. Ovarian Stimulation
2. Egg Retrieval
3. Fertilization
4. Em...

... middle of paper ...

... miscarriage as conceiving naturally but woman who receive frozen eggs during IVF treatment have a higher chance of miscarriage than conceiving naturally.

When more than one implant is successful, there is the risk of mult-foetal pregnancy. This may sound to be good news to the mothers but unfortunately the occurrence of more than one embryo can increase danger levels to the mother’s health and the embryos. This most common is premature babies being born, this results in the risk to the babies where difficulties can happen after birth or the babies can be too early to live.
Another risk is an ectopic pregnancy; these aren’t as common but occur in every 1 in 50 pregnant mothers. It occurs when the fertilised egg implants outside the uterine cavity. This unfortunately needs immediate destruction of the foetus.
Retrieved: (In Vitro Fertilization .How Stuff Works.2011)

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