IVF or in vitro fertilization is the most effective method of ART or assisted reproductive technology that can help an infertile woman to achieve pregnancy.
It is also the most commonly used procedure. In the IVF process, the eggs are extracted from the ovaries, which are then fertilized in the laboratories using sperm. This fertilized egg or embryo is then placed in a woman’s womb.
Originally introduced in 1978, IVF or in vitro fertilization has led to the creation of more than five million babies. The success rate of this procedure depends on a range of factors, which include the reason responsible for infertility, the age at which the procedure is being held as well as the place where the procedure is being carried out and the experience and proficiency of the doctor and the medical team handling the case.
Currently, a new IVF procedure is being developed that can soon make three parent babies a reality. While still a controversial notion among the medical community, the treatment procedure is now at its research phase and is waiting for its approval in Britain. This procedure will be the first one that involves working with genetically modified embryos. This technique is designed in a way so that it becomes possible to prevent the passing of diseases from the parents to the children. In order to prevent the passing of mitochondrial disorders from the mother to the child, the researchers have come up with a solution. Referred to as mitochondrial transfer, this fertility treatment involves replacing a particularly faulty portion of the mother’s egg by taking healthy genetic material from another donor. This helps to create a genetically modified baby having three biological parents. This technique of producing three parents IVF babies has been proven successful in the human cells in IVF laboratory and currently awaiting recognition.
The three parent IVF technique involves medical intervention in the natural fertilization process that helps in the removal of faulty mitochondrial DNA that can lead to a wide range of inherited conditions like brain disorders, liver failure, blindness, muscular dystrophy and fatal heart problems. The methods of three parent IVF technique are designed for helping families having mitochondrial diseases in their bloodline – incurable conditions that are passed down from the maternal line and affects one in every 6500 children worldwide.
At present, the average percentage of women undergoing an IVF cycle and getting pregnant is around 29.4%. This rate again may vary according to the age of a woman. The average percentage of IVF cycles that led to live births was around 22.4%. However, as the costs of an IVF procedure is quite high, and it does not always guarantee the successful birth of a child, not all couples plagued with the issue of infertility opts for this procedure.
The future of the IVF technique looks promising as new advances in the field of ART is bound to increase its overall rate of success. In the coming years, IVF is likely to be the major solution for all couples who are intending to be parents.
