Infertility affects 10-15% of married couples in India. The majority of infertile couples who seek treatment are among the 30 million. Higher number of couples suffer from infertility in the urban population, with one in six struggling to conceive. However, as a solution, they can resort to various forms of infertility treatments out of which In Vitro Fertilisation is one of them with high success rates and can give birth to a baby. OnlyMyHealth editorial team spoke to Dr. Rachita Munjal, Consultant Birla Fertility & IVF, to know about the process of a test tube or IVF baby.
What is a test tube baby?
Test tube baby is a common and non-medical term for an In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) baby. A test-tube baby is a baby who is conceived with the help of IVF. IVF is known as In vitro fertilisation where the word "vitro" means glass. In such cases, the fertilisation process takes place outside the uterus in a glass vessel by merging a female egg with a sperm.
IVF and test-tube babies are the same with no difference at all. Basically, the doctors prefer using the term IVF instead of test-tube babies.
Process of IVF babies
1. Ovarian Stimulation
In one menstrual cycle, a woman usually produces one mature ovum. To produce at least 10 to15 eggs in a single menstrual cycle, injectable gonadotropins are administered for eight to ten days. The injectables can be self-administered by the patient and are not painful. Females will undergo trans-vaginal sonography on two or three occasions to determine the size of their follicles (eggs). Once follicles reach their mature size, trigger injection is administered, and the egg retrieval process begins 34-36 hours later.
2. Egg Retrieval
This is a surgical procedure where a needle is inserted in women’s vagina to the ovaries and an egg within the follicle is removed by suction. This procedure is also known as follicular aspiration.
Also read: Factors That Might Affect Your IVF Success Rate, Explains Doctor
3. Fertilisation
The eggs are taken out and taken to the lab to be fertilised. In this step, the sperm and the eggs are placed in a petri dish. The fertilised eggs continue to develop in a controlled environment for an additional three to five days before being transferred to the female's uterus for implantation.
4. Embryo Transfer
The petri dish is kept under embryologist supervision in a laboratory and is monitored on a real-time basis to check whether the egg embryo is dividing or developing. The developing embryo is then transferred into the woman's uterus.
5. IVF pregnancy
Although the implantation takes about nine days, it is advised to wait for at least two weeks before getting yourself tested for conception. The best thing to do is to consult a fertility specialist.
Also read: How Can Infertility Affect A Couple Psychologically? Explains IVF Expert Dr Chaudhary
IVF babies are just as healthy as naturally conceived babies. With the use of In vitro fertilisation (IVF), millions of healthy children have been born. There are no immediate or long-term risks to the child's health associated with the IVF treatment. The method of conception is the main distinction between IVF infants and regular babies.
Millions of couples who have wanted children for a long time but have been unable to do it because of infertility or other health issues. Couples are now using a variety of reproductive technologies to fulfil their dreams of having children and enjoying parenthood.