More than 8 million children have been born thanks to IVF

Forty years after the birth of Louise Brown, the world’s first test-tube baby, the International Committee for ART (ICMART), which monitors progress in fertility reporting, estimates that the total number of babies born through IVF and other modern fertility treatments has reached over 8 million.

David Adamson, speaking at the congress on behalf of the International Committee for ART (ICMART), said: «Based on ICMART’s annual compilation of worldwide IVF data, it is estimated that since Louise Brown’s birth in 1978, over 8 million babies worldwide have been born through IVF.»

This figure, calculated from data collected from regional registries from 1991 to 2014, demonstrates the increasing use of IVF for infertility treatment. All this suggests that more than half a million children are born each year with the help of IVF and ICSI (that’s more than 2 million cycles of the procedure).

What is IVF / Science of everything

In Europe, Spain remains the most active country in providing infertility treatment. ESHRE has compiled national registry data on ART cycles performed in Europe since 1997, and their latest report found that a record 119,875 treatment cycles have been performed in Spain, now surpassing Russia (110,723 cycles), Germany (96,512), and the former leader, France (93,918). Cycles monitored by ESHRE include IVF, ICSI, and egg donation treatment.

According to Christian de Geyter, Chairman of ESHRE’s IVF cycle monitoring organization, approximately 80% of all European assisted reproductive technologies are included in the monitoring program, but there are no data from the UK this year. Typically, approximately 60,000 procedures are performed in the United Kingdom per year.
De Geyter also noted that access to reproductive treatment remains relatively uneven across Europe, with Denmark and Belgium offering over 2,500 treatment cycles per million population, while others (such as Austria and Italy) offer significantly less. The study estimated that the global need for modern infertility treatments is approximately 1,500 cycles per million population per year. «Only a minority of European countries fully meet this need,» De Geyter emphasized.

Louise Brown, the world’s first child conceived through IVF / BBC

Interesting facts:

1. Louise Brown, the world’s first child conceived through IVF, was born on July 25 In 1978, at Oldham Hospital, UK. The first successful procedure was performed by Cambridge reproductive biologist Robert Edwards, later the founder of ESHRE, and Oldham gynecologist Patrick Steptoe.

2. According to the International Medical Convention, patients are prohibited from choosing the sex of their child. This rule applies equally to all countries that practice in vitro fertilization. However, the doctor is obliged to choose whether the baby will be a boy or a girl in cases of a hereditary sex-linked disorder.

3. IVF is permitted up to the age of 55. However, a case of twins was recorded in a 67-year-old Spanish woman, Carmen Bousada. The patient forged documents and lowered her age by 12 years.

4. According to embryologists, the most successful times for IVF are spring and summer. This is due to hormonal changes in a woman’s body.

5. Theoretically, the maximum number of IVF attempts is six. After the third unsuccessful attempt, the patient is advised to use egg and sperm donors or surrogacy.