The idea of in vitro fertilization (IVF) was shaped and developed over several centuries. In 1784, Italian scientist Lazzaro Spallanzani performed the first artificial insemination on a dog, resulting in the birth of three healthy puppies.

A few years later, in 1790, Scottish physician John Hunter conducted the first intrauterine insemination (IUI) on a human. He introduced the husband's sperm into the wife’s vagina, which led to successful conception and the birth of a healthy baby.

In 1884, the first IUI using donor sperm was performed in Philadelphia. A medical professor used a student’s sperm for insemination without informing the woman, whose husband was infertile. This case was published only 25 years later.

The modern understanding of IVF began to take shape decades later, after numerous attempts. In 1978, British scientists biologist Robert Edwards and gynecologist Patrick Steptoe achieved a groundbreaking success: the birth of the first baby conceived via IVF — Louise Brown. Her mother, Lesley, had been unable to conceive for nine years but successfully became a parent thanks to this method.

In 2010, Robert Edwards was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for developing the IVF method. Unfortunately, Patrick Steptoe could not share the honor, as he had passed away in 1988.

Artificial Insemination Around the World

In the USSR, the first child conceived through IVF was born in 1986 in Moscow. A boy named Kirill was born shortly after in St. Petersburg. The extensive research leading to these achievements began in 1965.

By 1990, over 20,000 children had been born worldwide thanks to IVF, and by 2010, this number had grown to 4 million. Today, IVF is widely practiced globally. For instance, in Israel, 3,400 IVF procedures are performed annually per 1 million residents. In some cases, a single woman may undergo up to 40–44 IVF attempts.

Types and Methods of IVF

According to statistics, about 5 million children have been born worldwide through in vitro fertilization. However, IVF remains surrounded by debates and myths, often stemming from misunderstandings about the method itself.

In simple terms, IVF is the fertilization of an egg by a sperm outside a woman’s body. Contrary to common belief, this does not occur in a test tube but in a Petri dish.

The IVF procedure includes several stages:

1. Egg Retrieval
   This is achieved through controlled ovarian stimulation using gonadotropic medications. While typically only one egg matures during a natural cycle, stimulation allows for the retrieval of many eggs during IVF.

2. Fertilization of Eggs
   Fertilization takes place in an embryology laboratory. The main methods include:

• Traditional IVF: The strongest sperm penetrates the egg naturally.

• ICSI: A sperm cell is injected directly into the egg using a microtool, and the entire process is controlled by a specialist.

Additional methods include:

• PICSI: Selecting the highest-quality sperm based on its ability to bind with hyaluronic acid.

• IMSI: Selecting sperm with the best morphological characteristics.

The choice of fertilization method depends on the clinical indications and recommendations of the reproductive clinic.

3. Cultivation of Embryos
   Embryos are cultured in an incubator until they reach the blastocyst stage.

4. Embryo Transfer or Cryopreservation
   The best-quality embryo is transferred to the woman’s uterus. Alternatively, embryos can be cryopreserved for genetic testing using the NGS method to detect chromosomal abnormalities.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is a popular and recommended program that:

• increases the chances of conception,

• supports successful pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby,

• allows for selecting the desired gender of the baby.

Milestones in IVF Development

The foundation of IVF was laid long before the birth of the first "test-tube baby." In 1880, British professor Walter Heape proposed transferring a fertilized embryo into an organism to ensure its safe development.

In 1932, Aldous Huxley described the process of artificial insemination in his dystopian novel "Brave New World." The book provides an example involving rabbits: an egg is fertilized in a laboratory and then transferred to another rabbit, leading to pregnancy without natural mating.

Other key milestones include:

• 1948: Miriam Menkin and John Rock retrieved over 700 human eggs, 140 of which were fertilized with sperm.

• 1959: Scientist W. Chang successfully fertilized a rabbit using IVF principles, resulting in healthy offspring.

• 1976: Edwards and Steptoe performed the first successful IVF procedure on a British woman, leading to the birth of Louise Brown.

IVF in Ukraine

The history of IVF in Ukraine spans over 30 years. The first "test-tube baby" was born in 1991, a girl named Kateryna. The official IVF program was launched in 1990.

Today, Ukraine has the Ukrainian Association of Reproductive Medicine (UARM), which:

• unites experts in reproductive medicine,

• promotes and disseminates knowledge about assisted reproductive technologies (ART),

• informs specialists and patients about the state of reproductive medicine in Ukraine,

• implements international quality standards in ART,

• contributes to improving infertility treatments in the country.

IVF continues to advance, giving millions of couples worldwide the opportunity to become parents.

Advancements and Leadership of the Success Center in Reproductive Medicine

Today, advancements in reproductive medicine not only continue to improve the chances of successful conception but also help address more complex cases of infertility. One of the leaders in this field is the Success Center, which offers a full range of assisted reproductive technology (ART) services, including IVF and surrogacy programs.

The Success Surrogacy Centre supports couples struggling with conception by providing advanced methods and personalized solutions. The high qualifications of its specialists, use of cutting-edge technologies, and comprehensive patient care make the center a reliable partner on the path to building a family. Its surrogacy programs include full legal and medical support, as well as assistance with egg and sperm donation.