The Latin phrase ‘in vitro’ means ‘in glass’ in English. It refers to the process of commonly using glass containers to grow samples or specimens in cultured environment. Strictly speaking, the process of in vitro fertilization or IVF is just like that.

What is In Vitro Fertilization?
In vitro fertilization is an assisted fertilization technique with a considerable success rate compared to other techniques aimed in facilitating fertilization and reproduction. In this process, eggs are taken out of a woman’s ovaries and are fertilized by sperms in a fluid medium. If an egg is fertilized successfully, it is transferred back to the woman’s body and with the aim of letting the woman give birth naturally or by Caesarian to her offspring. In vitro fertilization offspring are colloquially referred to by many as test tube babies.

Requirements for Successful In Vitro Fertilization
In vitro fertilization is not for everyone. It can promise greater chances of success if the woman can contribute a healthy ova while the man can contribute an equally strong sperm and one that’s able to fertilize. It is also quite helpful if the woman’s uterus is strong and healthy enough to maintain a pregnancy up till its full term. Compared to other methods, in vitro fertilization is not as expensive but you will still have to spend some money to avail of this method.

Methods Used for In Vitro Fertilization

Ovarian Stimulation – The process of in vitro fertilization begins on the woman’s third day of menstruation. She will be asked to take certain fertility medications to promote the development of healthy eggs. Injectable gonadotropins may also be used in this stage. The woman will be under close supervision to monitor and evaluate the condition of her eggs. Gynecologic ultrasonography and inspection of her estradiol levels are the most common methods used to observe follicular growth. Ten days are generally required for use of injectable gonadotropins. To prevent spontaneous ovulation, GnRH antagonists is used.

Oocyte Retrieval – Human chorionic gonadotropin is used to extract oocytes if the first stage has been successful in achieving its purpose. This agent can cause ovulation to occur one and a half day after the last injection. The retrieval process takes place before that however and with the use of an invasive operation. During the retrieval process, the woman will be sedated but still conscious.

Fertilization – This is the stage in which an in vitro microscope is used. The retrieved eggs will be transferred to the laboratory. Surrounding cell will be removed and the eggs will be prepared for fertilization. Semen from the male will also be prepared by taking away seminal fluid and inactive cells. In vitro microscopes are used to ensure that all eggs and sperm cells are ready for fertilization.

Those that pass the test will be then transferred to an incubator for fertilization. They will stay there for eighteen hours. The end result should produce two pronuclei. If this stage shows a problem with low sperm count, intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI is used to directly inject sperm cells into the eggs. When fertilization has been achieved, the fertilized egg will be transferred to another cultured medium and will stay there for about two days or until the eggs have reached the 6th to 8th cell stage.

Once again, in vitro microscopes would be used to evaluate and determine the grade or quality of fertilized eggs or embryos. These eggs may later on be placed in cultured mediums for a longer period of time to ensure their health.

Embryo Transfer – In vitro microscopes are used to check the degree of fragmentation, evenness of growth, and number of cells found in embryos. The number of embryos scheduled for transplant will depend on the woman’s age and medical conditions. A thin plastic catheter is inserted through her vagina and reaches her cervix to serve as passage for embryos and have it returned to the woman’s uterus.

How Successful is In Vitro Fertilization?
In the United States, an average of 33% pregnancy rate is enjoyed by women. This may vary however depending on the clinic where the procedure had taken place and other important factors.

There are of course several cases in which in vitro fertilization prove to be unsuccessful. This could be due to a number of reasons, including but is not limited to miscalculation of the time of ovulation, abnormal embryo development, equipment failure, absence or lack of adequate specimen, unsuccessful attempts to acquire eggs, damage to eggs caused by the retrieval process, and a lot more. Continue research on this page