Development of IVF technology
Since the birth of the first test tube baby in the world in 1978, the technology of test tube baby has experienced four generations of development. From the initial IVF to today's PGS/PGD technology, IVF technology is constantly innovating and making progress, bringing new hope and opportunities to infertile couples. The following will elaborate on how the IVF technology has developed to the fourth generation in terms of sperm and egg acquisition, fertilization and embryo development, embryo selection and implantation, and later monitoring and support.
Sperm and egg acquisition
The first step of IVF technology is to obtain sperm and eggs. The original IVF technology relies on the natural ovulation cycle, through manual collection of sperm and eggs, and then in vitro fertilization in the laboratory. However, this method is only applicable to women who can ovulate normally. With the development of technology, the emergence of superovulation technology gives infertile couples the opportunity to participate in IVF treatment. In addition, new technologies such as egg freezing and sperm extraction provide more options and possibilities for IVF technology.
With the progress of modern medicine, IVF technology has made significant progress in obtaining sperm and eggs, bringing hope to more people.
Fertilization and embryonic development
The next step of IVF technology is in vitro fertilization and embryo development. The original IVF technology is to naturally fertilize sperm and eggs in a Petri dish, and then cultivate embryos. However, due to the risk of multiple pregnancies and the need for embryo selection, pregnancy hospitals have gradually introduced ICSI technology, that is, single sperm is injected into eggs. This technique can improve the fertilization rate and increase the chances of embryo health.
In addition, the monitoring and support of embryonic development have also been greatly improved. The development of IVF technology has made the opportunities for embryo selection and optimization more diversified, from the initial observation of embryo appearance development to embryo chromosome detection and metabonomics analysis.
Embryo selection and implantation
The process of embryo selection and implantation of IVF technology is also improving. In the early stage of IVF technology, only the appearance of the embryo can be observed to judge its development, and the highest quality embryo is selected for implantation into the uterus. However, this method cannot accurately guarantee the health and development potential of embryos.
With the development of gene detection technology, such as PGS/PGD technology, it can help doctors select the healthiest embryos for implantation by screening the genetic disease risk, chromosome abnormalities and gene mutations of embryos. In addition, there are other technologies such as embryo culture after egg retrieval, embryo blastocyst implantation, etc., which further improve the success rate of IVF.
Post monitoring and support
The last aspect of IVF technology is post monitoring and support. After IVF implantation is successful, doctors need to continuously monitor pregnant women and provide necessary support and care.
Modern medicine provides more advanced methods to monitor the health of the fetus, such as fetal Down syndrome screening, amniocentesis, etc. These techniques can detect possible fetal abnormalities in advance and take corresponding measures. In addition, the assisted pregnancy hospital also provides counseling and psychological support to help infertile couples overcome their uncertainty and anxiety during pregnancy.
Summary
After four generations of development, IVF technology has innovated and innovated in every link from sperm and egg acquisition, fertilization and embryo development, embryo selection and implantation, to later monitoring and support, providing more opportunities and choices for infertile couples. The progress of IVF technology will continue to bring hope to families who are eager to have healthy babies.
