When considering infertility treatment, people often get confused between IVF and a test tube baby, thinking about which one to choose. However, there is no difference between IVF and test tube baby, and these terms are used for the same treatment.
IVF, or In Vitro Fertilisation, is the medical term used by medical professionals, whereas the test tube baby is the non-medical term used by common people. The term test tube baby originated from the general idea of the treatment utilising a tube in a laboratory where the embryo is formed instead of a woman’s fallopian tube.
Before IVF became widely popular, the term test tube baby created commotion within the population. Some people even thought that the baby was entirely grown in a test tube, and a social stigma was attached to it.
However, with growing acceptance of IVF, people are understanding that these terms do not differ in process, and the baby born from this procedure is as normal as the babies born from natural fertilisation in the mother’s womb. There is no need for confusion as IVF and test tube baby are the same, and it provides a hope to couples suffering from fertility issues in achieving parenthood.
An Overview of the IVF Procedure or Test Tube Baby
In combating fertility issues, IVF has been a revolutionary innovation in the medical field. This treatment option helps couples and individuals suffering from infertility to experience parenthood. It involves complex procedures by a fertility specialist where an egg is fertilised with healthy sperm and the created embryo is placed inside the intended mother’s uterus. This entire process is completed with precision and expertise by following step-by-step procedures, such as :
Clinical Consultation and Tests
Before the IVF procedure begins, doctors evaluate the medical history of both the patient and her partner. They perform some blood tests, an ultrasound, semen analysis, and check hormone levels and assess the uterine lining to understand the cause of infertility and prepare them for the next phase.
Ovarian Stimulation and Monitoring
In this phase, the patient is given hormonal injections, which can also be administered orally. These fertility drugs stimulate the ovarian follicles, mimicking a menstrual cycle, to produce multiple mature eggs. Doctors monitor this ovulation period after the ovary is stimulated for 10-14 days using various tests and ultrasounds.
Triggering and Egg Retrieval
Around 10 to 12 days after stimulation, one final triggering shot or HCG is given to mature the eggs for retrieval. Once the eggs are mature, the specialist retrieves the mature follicles with a thin needle guided by ultrasound, inserted through the vagina. This precise and minor procedure is completed under sedation.
Sperm Collection and Fertilisation
Once the eggs are extracted, they are ready to be fertilised with sperm in a petri dish under a controlled lab environment. This phase can involve procedures like ICSI (Intracystoplasmic Sperm Injection), where a single healthy sperm is injected into the egg for fertilisation to increase the chance of treatment.
Embryo Culture
During this phase, the embryo is monitored by the fertility specialist for 5 to 6 days in the lab, which is known as the blastocyte stage. The couple can opt for PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing) at this time to be assured that there is not gentic or chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo and select the healthiest embryo for transfer. This test requires freezing the embryo, which may elongate the treatment process.
Embryo Transfer
Once the embryo is formed and tests are done, the patient needs to appear in the clinic for embryo transfer. Before this, patients are kept on medications to prepare their uterine lining to receive the embryo. Doctors implant the embryo into the uterus through the cervix by using a thin and flexible needle. The patient may not require sedation for this minor procedure, but may feel mild cramping. After this, they need to go through some blood tests to confirm pregnancy.
Success Rate of IVF
In achieving pregnancy, the IVF success rate depends on various factors such as age, quality of the donor egg and sperm, lifestyle factors, and overall health condition of the patient. The IVF procedure can have a 30 to 35% success rate, approximately.
However, every infertility case is different from one to another, and this rate is not strictly limited to these figures. The specialist diagnoses and curates a treatment plan according to the unique needs of the patients, ensuring an optimal success rate.
Also Check
Secret of IVF Success Insights by Dr. Prasenjit Kr Roy
Who Should Approach IVF or Test Tube Baby Treatment?
Several conditions can lead to fertility challenges and difficulty in conceiving. People often can not recognise the signs, which results in delayed action to address their infertility.
According to Dr. Prasenjit Kr Roy, IVF decisions should always be personalised based on age, cause of infertility, and overall health. Here are some key factors,
Tubal Blockage and Damage
This condition leads to difficulty for sperm to meet the egg through the blocked and damaged fallopian tube. This leads to infertility, and IVF offers an alternative route by fertilising sperm and egg in the laboratory, bypassing the tubal ligation issues.
Ovulation Disorders
Women can experience insufficient ovulation due to conditions like PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), hormonal imbalances, and premature ovarian failure. This leads to ovarian failure to produce mature eggs regularly or at all, leading to annovulation and IVF can dissolve this issue by directly retrieving eggs for fertilisation.
Endometriosis
When endometrial tissues similar to the uterine lining grow outside the utus affecting the functions of reproductive organs such as the pelvis, uterus, cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes, creating difficulties in pregnancy. Women suffering from this condition may require IVF to resolve the endometrial issues.
Advanced Maternal Age
Especially after the age of 35, the egg reserve and quality start to decrease naturally, leading to challenges in conception. Women nearing 40 can consider IVF, where ovaries are stimulated to produce eggs for fertilisation. However, the success rate depends on the quality of eggs.
Genetic Disorder
Many couples suffer from genetic disorders such as Sickle Cell Anaemia, Cystic Fibroids or structural chromosomal rearrangements. To avoid passing genetic or hereditary diseases to the baby, they can choose IVF, which offers PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing) to choose the healthiest embryo without any genetic disorders before implantation.
Male Factors
Male partners with fertility challenges like low sperm count, poor motility, and abnormal morphology of sperm can lead to infertility. Due to poor sperm health, the ejaculation remains insufficient, and it can also involve erectile dysfunction, creating challenges in fertilising the egg. For male infertility, IVF offers an opportunity for IUI(Intrauterine Insemination) where a single healthy sperm is washed and concentrated and directly placed into the uterus to maximise fertilisation chances.
When Should You Consult a Fertility Specialist?
Going through fertility challenges can be overwhelming, both mentally and physically. According to one of the most revered fertility specialists in Siliguri, Dr. Prasenjit Roy, couples should not ignore certain conditions and delay a fertility consultation, such as:
Age Above 35
When women are near the age of 40, egg quality and quantity naturally start to decline due to the aging process, and trying to conceive at this age can lead to a high-risk pregnancy or failure, requiring consultation with a fertility specialist.
Records of Three or More Miscarriages
Experiencing three or more pregnancy losses within 20 weeks of getting pregnant can be a major reason to consult a fertility specialist. Miscarriages occur when an egg or psem wrong number of chromosomes and the embryo fails to develop healthily.
Menstrual Disorder
If women experience menstrual changes such as missing or irregular periods, heavier or lighter flow than usual, no periods in months, bleeding or spotting between periods, periods lasting more or fewer than 4 to 7 days, they need to see a fertility specialist.
Erectile Issues
If the male partner has poor reproductive health and struggles with erection, leading to failure in achieving pregnnacy need to see a fertility specialist to address the concern.
Unexplained Infertility
When pregnancy is not achieved despite having intercourse with the partner for more than 12 months, consulting a fertility specialist may help detect the cause and receive infertility treatment options.
Chronic Health Conditions
If either of the parents has chronic or long-term medical conditions such as diabetes, genetic disorders, hypertension, kidney disease, thyroid conditions, or heart disease, it can lead to complications in pregnancy, fostering the need to consult a fertility specialist for effective management.
FAQs
1) What is the difference between an IVF baby and a Test Tube Baby?
A: There is no difference; both terms mean the same procedure; test tube baby is the non-medical term, and IVF is the medical term used for babies conceived through IVF.
2) Does lifestyle affects succes rate of IVF?
A: Yes, certain lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking, doing excessive exercise, eating a poor diet, being overweight, and excessive stress can impact the success rate of the IVF procedure.
3) How long does an IVF procedure take?
A: Typically, an IVF cycle takes 3 to 4 weeks to complete, including stimulation and embryo transfer. However, the timeline depends on the condition of the patient.
Conclusion
In addressing fertility challenges, IVF has been a pathbreaking treatment option, spreading hope and joy in the lives of couples. Knowing that there is no difference between IVF and a test tube baby can help diminish the doubts of couples experiencing fertility challenges and considering IVF.
In Siliguri, the infertility treatment is provided with transparency of costs, procedure, high precision with advanced technology and compassion towards the patient according to each unique condition. Infertility is not the end of the line; you can consult a learned IVF specialist doctor in Siliguri to embark on the journey of parenthood with optimal treatment.
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