In Vitro fertilization is the process of fertilizing eggs with sperms outside the body. The term In Vitro is a Latin term meaning “in glass”. This is in reference to the earlier practice of developing growth cultures, by scientists, in test tubes. Early science did not have the advantage of current technology and thus reverted to using test tubes for their experiments.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) – A Major Infertility Treatment Option

In vitro fertilization is a major treatment in infertility cases, and is a viable option for women who cannot conceive naturally. It is usually carried out in specialist clinics as it requires expert knowledge and skill to pull it off successfully. It is a rather expensive alternative and couples should carefully learn about the process if they are to consider it. This type of fertilization is part of the Assisted Reproductive Techniques. These are techniques that are reverted to when most others don’t work.

IVF Is Generally Successful On Two Factors

• Younger women (women below 35)

• Donor eggs
Several factors are considered for the chances of a successful attempt. These are

• Age. As mentioned above women younger than 35 stands a better chance of getting pregnant. Women older than that have slim chances of success if they opt for the process. The optimal age is considered to be between 23 and 39 years.

• Ovarian function. This is usually considered when choosing whether to use a woman’s own eggs for the procedure, or go with donor eggs.

• Period of infertility. If the period has been long, then there exists a possibility that success might be hard to come by.

• If it is the man who is infertile, then sperm donors is the only choice if the couple still intends to go on with the procedure. Fertility clinics may keep samples and depending on the country where the couple lives; there might be a sperm bank.

IVF treatment

IVF treatment has several steps that are followed. These are:

1. Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation

This is a process where the ovaries are stimulated to increase production of oocytes. It is done to ensure that the chances of retrieving good quality oocytes are high. This in turn ensures that pregnancy rates are high.
Once a woman is started on the process, she is scheduled to have regular follow-ups to the clinic to ensure follicular development. Treatment length is usually 12 to 16 days.
As the oocytes (follicles) reach a mature size, an injection (chorionic gonadotrophism) is administered to ensure the oocyte harvesting is smooth.

2. Oocyte pickup

This is usually a short process and lasts about half an hour. It involves inserting a needle to the vaginal probe and retrieving the oocytes. The oocytes picked are examined under a microscope in the laboratory to check for their quality and quantity. Insemination now follows.

3. Fertilization (IVF)

The sperms from the male partner are put around the mature and good quality oocytes. Fertilization is now expected to occur. Fertilization is checked after a period of about 18 hours.

4. Embryo transfer (ET)
The fertilized oocytes (embryos), which are also of good quality, are transferred to the uterus. Usually a maximum of three embryos are transferred to avoid multiple pregnancies. The remaining oocytes may be freezed in case the administered ones don’t take.

5. Pregnancy testing
This is performed 12 days after the embryo transfer.

There are a lot of moral issues, as well as ethical ones associated with IVF. Some say it is akin to playing God with all that power to “create life”. Despite all this, only the affected couple can have final say on what choice to make. IVF has had significantly good success rates and as such couples should also consider this when making a decision.

The Greatest Danger Involved With IVF

The greatest danger of IVF is that of multiple pregnancies. This is evident with women who have delivered twins, triplets and even more. The common danger is that it will not work. This is depressing to couples who after trying all other options, fail on IVF. It is therefore good for couples to go over the process with their doctor and learn everything there is to know before taking that step. If, however, in vitro fertilization does not work, the couple may try adoption as a way of starting a family.