Infertile couples are often told to opt for IVF. The process has revolutionized the world of medical science dealing with the treatment of infertility. Well, the baby is actually conceived in a
Petri dish of a lab instead of the mother's womb.
Test Tube Baby Treatment Process has evolved over the years. The first instance of the experiment which led to the miraculous procedure can be traced to 1959 when a scientist removed an ovum from the female and put it in spermatozoa in a glass dome. The resultant embryo that was formed managed to survive only for a period of 29 days but opened the doors for further research and experimentation in the field. The procedure has been in use since then.
Steps of the IVF treatment
Five basic steps are recognized for the process of IVF
1.Ovulation
The ovulation of the woman is studied closely. If the woman is not ovulating then there is no other option than using the services of a donor. On the other hand, if the woman is ovulating, the cycle may be stimulated using medicines so that the IVF process can be initiated. In both the cases, the extraction of the ovum is done.
- Follicular aspiration
This involves the extraction of the egg either by laparoscopy or ultrasonography. If laparoscopy is used, a small cut is made in below the navel of the woman. Carbon dioxide or any other inert gas is passed through the hole. The passage of gas helps in creating conditions in the abdomen so that the proper manipulation of instruments is possible. A laparoscope is inserted next and the ovaries are located with the help of it. Once the ovary is located, the eggs are sucked out with the help of a syringe. This syringe is inserted into the follicle on the surface of the ovary. This procedure is conducted while the woman is put on a general anaesthesia.
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
The egg is then placed in a culture medium which contains calcium and other essential nutrients. The sperm of the donor or the male partner is introduced. The egg usually fertilizes after a span of 12 -24 hours. The whole process must be carried out under sterile conditions.
4.Cleavage
The process of cell division starts and after a period of 5 days, the embryo reaches the stage of 16 cells. This stage is called blastocyst.
5.Embryo transfer
The embryo is implanted into the uterus of the another.The conditions of the uterus must be made favorable before implanting the embryo. Hormonal stimulation is employed to attain such conditions. The transfer process may be done through a cut in the wall of the uterus or through a catheter inserted into the vagina which is routed to the womb through the cervical canal.
After the implantation, the woman is regularly monitored. The pregnancy is confirmed when pregnancy test comes positive.The progress of the embryo is checked regularly until she delivers a healthy child. The whole process has to be carried out patiently.The cycles may be repeated if the eggs fail to fertilize or the embryo doesn't get implanted successfully.
