When the first baby conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) was born in 1978, the feat was hailed as a miracle. Now, IVF is considered the most effective infertility treatment available.
During this year’s Honored Alumni Lecture, titled In-Vitro Fertilization: Past, Present and Future, Dr. Randall Barnes taught students and faculty about the rapid development of IVF.
Barnes has had the unique opportunity of being in this field since the practice of IVF began.
When describing the history of in-vitro fertilization, Barnes first told of his time as a student at John’s Hopkins University Medical School. The first successful IVF procedure made national headlines during his junior year, and Barnes said that the story caught his eye.
“I’ve been alive through the whole history of in-vitro fertilization,” Barnes said. “It has changed dramatically.”
Barnes also described the difficult and often unsuccessful procedures used in the early days of in-vitro fertilization.
“In the first four or five years of IVF, [there was] a four percent live birth rate,” Barnes said. “There were some studies that showed you were more likely to have a baby while waiting for your IVF procedure than you were of having [a successful] IVF procedure.”
The state of IVF today is vastly improved. According to Dr. Barnes, over 5 million babies have been conceived through in-vitro fertilization since 1978.
Barnes said the success rate of IVF has climbed to around 23 percent in recent years due to advancements in the field. Doctors are now able to stimulate multiple follicles at once, retrieve more egg cells, and preserve them more effectively.
Barnes also discussed possible future developments in his field. He noted that a greater understanding of stem cells and gene alteration could dramatically increase the success rate of IVF and allow doctors to screen egg cells for possible birth defects.
However, Barnes also warned of possible controversies with the almost endless opportunities for improvement. For example, there may come a time when gene alteration procedures will permit parents to select the genetic traits that their child will inherit.
“It is at least theoretically possible now, but biology is so complex that you can’t predict it,” Barnes said of these procedures.
Just as the future of reproductive medicine is unpredictable, Barnes concluded his lecture by saying how important it is for us to be prepared for whatever the future holds.
“Just do the very best at what you’re doing,” Barnes said. “Each of us can prepare for the unknowable future by having faith in Christ.”
Watch the lecture here.