That jar is now displayed at the Science Museum in London, because — exactly forty years ago Wednesday — Louise Brown became the first person to be born after being conceived outside of the human body, through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The term “test tube baby” means a child that is conceived outside a woman’s body. A more complete definition specifies test tube babies as being conceived in a laboratory through the scientific process of In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). Hence, there is actually NO difference between IVF and test tube baby.

Since the birth of the first “test tube baby” in 1978, more than three million children have been born with the help of reproductive technology. Most of them are healthy. But as a group they’re at a higher risk for low birth weight, which is associated with obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes later in life.

The only difference between a test tube baby and a normal baby is that test tube babies are born with the help of special fertility treatment, whereas normal babies born with the natural conception. Here, the only difference is the difference between the procedure of conception and fertilization.

It is illegal in India to use any technology to select the gender of a foetus. But activists suspect that medical professionals have been using Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, or PGD as it is commonly known, to selectively implant male embryos.

In-vitro fertilization (IVF) can help achieve pregnancy when other treatments have not worked. The process involves fertilizing an egg outside the body, and implanting it to continue the pregnancy. One percent of babies born in the United States are conceived through IVF.

The cost of the entire procedure ranges from Rs. 1,10,000 to Rs. 2,00,000, depending on individual treatments, use of fertility drugs, and other sophisticated treatments such as embryo freezing, sperm or egg donation, or ICSI. In other countries, the cost of having an IVF is considerably higher.

Louise Joy Brown

In Islamic law, all assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are allowed, provided that the source of the sperm, ovum, and uterus comes from a legally married couple during the span of their marriage. Surrogacy is not accepted in Islam.

Why Islam prohibits adoption “In Islam, all relations are ordained by Allah. In India, although adoption is allowed under a secular Juvenile Justice Act (Care and Protection of Children), Islam is said to prohibit inheritance rights or giving one’s name to an ‘adopted’ child.

In Pakistan, cost of IVF treatment hovers between Rs200,000 to Rs450,000 but is still out of the reach of many middle and lower middle class couples. In a recently held meeting, the Council of Islamic Ideology allowed test tube babies under certain conditions.

Typically a woman will give herself a shot every day for 10 to 12 days. Those shots are a hormonal stimulant designed to help her body produce more mature eggs. The eggs are then retrieved and fertilized.

The Sindh Institute of Reproductive Medicine (SIRM), Karachi, Pakistan, has introduced a new method of IVF for the first time in Pakistan. Intravaginal culture (IVC) is a simple, reliable and cost-effective alternative to IVF. The procedure can be performed in an office set-up with minor capital equipment.

Patients may experience some discomfort as the injection is being administered. The level of this pain depends on how comfortable the patient is with needles and shots. The IVF medications are associated with a range of side effects, one of which is abdominal cramping.

MYTH: IVF guarantees 100% success (or) there is no hope after the 1st IVF failure. FACT: The success rate of IVF is about 50% in women below the age of 35. As the age increases, the chances of success go down.

How to Increase Your Chances of IVF Success

1. Maintain a healthy weight.
2. Optimize sperm health.
3. Partner with an excellent doctor and embryology laboratory.
4. Reduce your stress.
5. Quit smoking.
6. Look into taking supplements.
7. Ensure you have adequate levels of vitamin D.
8. Focus on persistence and patience.

Dr Braga said: “This work shows that IVF cycles may have a better outcome during the Spring. Our results show a significant difference in spring fertilization rate, with the fertilization rate in the spring being almost one and a half-times that of other seasons.

Hydration has even more importance for women undergoing IVF as drinking liquids will keep fluid levels in the female reproductive organs at healthy levels. Consuming liquids will also keep blood vessels hydrated and limit the potential dehydrating and toxic side effects of some forms of fertility treatment.