The “Father of IVF” tells you, what kind of couples are suitable for IVF?

On October 4, 2010, Karolinska Institute in Sweden announced that this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to British physiologist Robert Geoffrey Edwards in recognition of his achievements in pioneering in vitro fertilization technology. The octogenarian, known as the "father of test-tube babies", began researching test-tube fertilization in 1958 and created the world's first "test-tube baby" in 1978.

The scientific name of test tube baby is in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer, which means that sperm and egg are combined outside the body to form a fertilized egg, which is then implanted into the mother's body after being cultivated into an embryo. Just like the cultivation of vegetables and fruits we often see, seeds are first buried in the laboratory and wait for germination, and then the seedlings are transplanted into the soil when the time is right.

So what kind of couples need and can complete IVF? Couples with normal sexual life who do not take contraceptive measures but still have not gotten pregnant for a year need to be checked. It may be a female problem or a male problem. This requires relevant examinations to clarify the cause, and then choose the corresponding treatment plan according to the cause. Some couples can get pregnant normally through outpatient ovulation induction, artificial insemination, laparoscopy and other treatments, and IVF technology is mainly for women whose sperm and eggs cannot meet normally due to various factors, such as pelvic adhesions, fallopian tube obstruction, intrauterine ectopic disease, unexplained infertility, ovulation disorders and men with oligoasthenospermia, obstructive azoospermia and couples who need to undergo embryo genetic testing.

The following are not suitable for IVF: any party providing the egg or sperm has acute infection of the reproductive or urinary system or sexually transmitted diseases. Or has bad habits such as alcoholism and drug abuse. Or any party is exposed to teratogenic radiation, poisons, and drugs and is in the period of action. In addition, the woman suffers from serious genetic diseases, serious physical diseases, mental and psychological disorders, etc., which are not suitable for IVF to fulfill the couple's wish to become parents.

What do eligible couples have to do during the IVF process? The first is a routine physical examination. The man needs to test his semen, fasting blood, and some infectious virus tests. The woman also needs to complete some basic examinations, such as gynecological examination, curettage, fallopian tube permeability test, anti-sperm antibodies, liver function and hepatitis B two-and-a-half, blood routine analysis and coagulation time, and basic endocrine hormone measurement on the third day of the woman's menstruation, such as the six sexual tests.

On the premise that all indicators are qualified, the next step is a long preparation process.

The first step is to detect the eggs and stimulate ovulation. Generally, only one follicle matures in each natural cycle of a normal woman, but this is not enough for IVF. In order to obtain multiple eggs, ovulation promotion is often used to obtain multiple eggs and help cultivate embryos.

The next step is to predict ovulation. Before the egg is released, the mature follicles are punctured through the vagina with a needle under laparoscopy or ultrasound monitoring, and the follicle contents are extracted to find the oocytes. The found oocytes are then cultivated until they mature to the same degree as ovulation in the body, at which time in vitro fertilization can be performed.

After the sperm obtained from the man is combined with the egg and cultivated into an embryo, the embryo is then transplanted into the woman's body. At this time, 3 to 4 embryos are usually implanted to ensure the success rate, but there is still a risk of failure. After the embryo is injected into the body, the woman will be required to stay in bed for 24 hours, and try to reduce activity for the next three or four days. After two weeks, a test will be conducted to check whether pregnancy has occurred. If pregnancy has occurred, then you can happily welcome the baby. If it is not successful, you must decide whether to continue with IVF based on the doctor's advice.

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[2] Peng Jing, Lu Daru. Development and discussion of in vitro fertilization technology[J]. Nature Magazine, 2010, 32(06): 338-343+308.

[3]. Introduction to “Test-tube Baby”[J]. Journal of Chongqing Medical University, 2019, 44(08):972.

[4] Wang Xiaochen. Thirty years of IVF[J]. Medicine and Philosophy (Humanities and Social Medicine), 2011, 32(06):73-75.