Brown, Louise (1978–)

When she was delivered by caesarean section at Oldham Hospital in Lancashire, England, on July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown became the first infant conceived using in vitro fertilization (IVF). After numerous attempts to impregnate Lesley Brown, Louise's mother, physicians tried fertilizing her eggs in a Petri dish before implanting a two-and-a-half-day-old embryo. Dubbed a “test-tube baby” by the press, Louise Brown was subjected to media attention that has persisted, especially in the wake of the July 2006 announcement that she was pregnant.

It took 12 years for British physiologist Robert Edwards and gynecologist Patrick Steptoe to develop the in vitro fertilization procedure in which eggs are fertilized with sperm in a lab and the resulting embryos are transferred to a woman's uterus two to six days later. It often takes multiple cycles of IVF to produce pregnancy. Initially developed as a technique for couples experiencing infertility (which is generally medically defined as the inability to conceive during one year of trying), IVF is now one of several assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). IVF has expanded options for lesbian and gay couples, women undergoing treatment for cancer or other serious illnesses who can have their eggs extracted and frozen for later IVF, those who wish to postpone pregnancy, and parents interested in screening for genetic abnormalities or the sex, because a number of tests can be done before implanting embryos. As of June 2006, more than 3 million IVF babies had been born worldwide.

While considered a medical miracle to some, the cost of IVF—well over $10,000 per cycle—makes it only accessible to patients with comprehensive medical insurance or personal financial resources. Well-publicized multiple births have also caused concern about the medical dangers and expense associated with multifetus pregnancies and postnatal care. Likewise, the invention of IVF has spurred a market in eggs and sperm and has caused some concern about the social implications of sex selection.