In plain words
In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is a fertility treatment done in a lab. Medicines first stimulate the ovaries to develop several eggs. The eggs are collected in a short procedure, fertilized with sperm in a lab dish, and grown into embryos for several days. One or more embryos are then placed in the uterus. Extra embryos can be frozen for later use. IVF is one kind of assisted reproductive technology. It differs from , which places sperm in the uterus without lab fertilization. IVF is often used when other treatments have not worked, or when tubes are blocked or sperm counts are low. It is costly, and success depends heavily on age and diagnosis. Clinics and national registries report success rates, and those rates vary.
The deeper version
IVF involves controlled ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins and a GnRH analogue, transvaginal oocyte retrieval, insemination or , embryo culture to cleavage or blastocyst stage, and transfer. Live birth rates per cycle fall with maternal age, most steeply after about 40 (CDC and SART, Assisted Reproductive Technology National Summary Report, annual). Single-embryo transfer policies have reduced multiple pregnancy in many countries. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and procedure-related complications are recognized risks. Cumulative live birth rates, and the cost-effectiveness of IVF compared with less invasive options such as ovulation and intrauterine insemination, remain debated.
Where it comes up
- Trying to conceive: how long is normal, when to ask for helpBefore Pregnancy
- Infertility and the long roadLoss and Complications
- Your partner's health before conceptionBefore Pregnancy
What mothers here say about in vitro fertilization
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Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology — Assisted Reproductive Technology National Summary Report, annual