On July 25, the world celebrates great advancements and accomplishments in infertility and reproductive endocrinology on World IVF Day, also referred to as World Embryologist Day. Doctors, nationally and internationally, who practice in this field of medicine assembly particularly those who attend to infertile patients on this day increase the visibility of a fairly young specialty of assisted reproductive technology. They organize internal training such as workshops, seminars, and symposiums to boost professional competency so that they are acquainted with the latest technology in infertility treatments.
We celebrate World IVF Day, for the remarkable improvements to the sector of reproductive medicine, and the restoring to millions of families the light of hope. On this day, fundamentally, the global celebrates the birth of Louise Brown – the first baby born through IVF and the great achievements in IVF research.
Who are Embryologists?
The professionals who are involved in the study and examination of sperm, eggs as well as embryos are referred to as embryologists. These individuals are very erudite and considered core professionals in ART and reproductive medicine. In addition, they are to keep the development and preservation of human embryos during the entire reproductive cycle.
What Does an Embryologist Do?
Take a look at some of the typical duties that embryologists complete to see how important their work is:
- Determines the patient’s reproductive levels.
- Maintaining the laboratory environment
- Creating embryos through the insemination of eggs.
- Grading and watching embryos.
- Choosing embryo(s) for transfer
- Embryological genetic testing
- Monitoring embryo development
- Preservation/freezing of sperm, eggs, and embryos
History of World IVF Day
One of the greatest wins in human history was led by three medical professionals: Drs. Patrick Christopher Steptoe, Robert Geoffrey Edwards, and Nurse Jean Marian Purdy. The birth of Louise Brown on July 25, 1978, became the first in the world “Test-tube baby” would not be possible if doctors Steptoe, Edwards, and Jean Marian did not work rigorously for the end of human infertility.
Dr Patrick Christopher Steptoe is credited for performing the first laparoscopic surgery in the year 1913. His textbook “Laparoscopy in Gynaecology” is known as the ‘bible of laparoscopic gynecology’ because of his research performed on the laparoscopic technique.
Robert Geoffrey Edwards is a geneticist who pursued his graduation in 1955 and was born in the year 1925. Since he was highly interested in the developmental aspects of human oocytes and embryonic stem cells, he was one of the first to sequence the human oocytes by in vitro maturation of human oocytes from human ovarian slices. His conversations with Dr. Edwards and nurse Jean Marian Purdy made it possible to apply Dr. Steptoe’s laparoscopic skills in the ensuing in vitro fertilization experiments. Their pioneering work was started at Dr. Kershaw’s Cottage Hospital in England using human in vitro fertilization. Their first 40 patients did not become pregnant, thus they were an early failure, but they persisted.
Patient Mrs. Leslie Brown finally conceived after 102 embryo implants, 101 of which failed along with one that caused an ectopic pregnancy. In addition, its birth took place on Tuesday, July 25, 1978, after Mrs. Brown’s complicated pregnancy through cesarean section. Due to the growing popularity of this event, World IVF Day has been celebrated on a big scale right from the beginning.
Importance of World IVF Day
Infertility impacts the reproductive tracts of the male and female individuals. According to them, it is the failure to get pregnant after having unprotected coital intercourse for at least one year. This sickness is prevalent in millions of people across the globe and also affects families and other members of society. Of those who are old enough to reproduce, about one in six will become infertile.
About 84 of every 100 couples who try for a natural delivery will get pregnant within a year, 92 within two, and 93 within three. For couples who are still unhappy after three years, the chance of becoming pregnant during the next year is 25% or less.
Falling birth rates are predicted to cause population declines of 50% in 23 countries by 2100, including Japan and Spain. Below 2.1, the population starts to drop.
In 1950, women were 4.7 years old on average when they became pregnant. A 2017 Lancet study found that the birthrate had almost halved to 2.4, and by 2100, it is predicted to fall to 1.7.
The general public, the administrative elite, and other officials support a range of policies aimed at increasing the birthrate in these terrible circumstances. IVF and other medically assisted reproductive methods, therefore, bear a significant share of the credit for the global increase in birthrate. World Embryologist Day, also known as World IVF Day, is a way for us to express our gratitude for the amazing job that they do.
Summary
We recognize people who, through their scientific work, compassion, diversity, and equality in our industry, have advanced IVF and reproductive care in the past, present, and future on World IVF Day.
Technology advancements may not always keep up with the development of safe and effective treatments, thus laws, guidelines, and ethics pertaining to reproductive health must be put into place at the same time. We raise our voices in memory of the different routes that lead to motherhood, to promote an open mind, and to respect the autonomy of procreation. Finally, let’s wish Louise a happy birthday on this World IVF Day and hope that IVF will soon become more widely available, economically accessible, and egalitarian.
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