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An awful lot of people at large in the world began their lives in a dish. Just over 30 years ago, a British baby named Louise Brown became the first viable child conceived by in vitro fertilization. Now the 3.5 million people who have followed her match the population of Lithuania. But bringing those millions into existence was not easy. On average, only a quarter of all IVF attempts with fresh eggs yield a live birth; frozen eggs perform even worse, topping out at just 17%. According to an announcement made yesterday by a team of researchers in the United Kingdom, however, all that may change. There is now a quick and reliable way to check the viability of eggs before fertilization and implantation begin — and two months from now, a previously childless 41-year-old woman will give birth to the baby who proves it.
The biggest reason IVF treatments so often fail is that even in the best of circumstances, not all eggs are created equal. Up to half the eggs younger women produce carry chromosomal abnormalities that make...
The biggest reason IVF treatments so often fail is that even in the best of circumstances, not all eggs are created equal. Up to half the eggs younger women produce carry chromosomal abnormalities that make...