Many children have heard they were “miracle babies,” but Louise Brown was one in every essence.
Thirty years ago, her mother Lesley Brown underwent the first in-vitro fertilization treatment and Louise Brown became the world’s first test tube baby.
The procedure was developed by Patrick Steptoe and Professor Robert Edwards.
Since then, more than three million babies have been born through IVF.
Brown told the BBC News that as a child she was somewhat of a celebrity.
“When I was growing up, they would ask things like how do you fit in a test tube and things like that,” she said.
“Thirty years ago marked a tremendous beginning for infertile couples around the world,” said Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing health editor for FOXNews.com. “IVF has changed remarkably in 30 years. Now, it allows for better cycle controls, reduction in the amount of multiple births, and there are new things like pre-implantation genetics to identify genetic risks. There are also technologies that factor in the male’s sperm, so you need less good eggs.”
As Brown celebrates her 30th birthday, she is concentrating on her own miracle - her son Cameron, 18 months, who was conceived naturally.
“It's quite scary to think I'm the first of them all, but it's also a nice feeling that perhaps if I hadn't been born then all those people wouldn't be here, and IVF has helped so many couples," Brown said.
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