The brave new world of making babies

Abstract

Following the breakthrough of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) after half a century of vigorous investigation initial criticism ranged from skepticism to sheer outrage. However IVF was successfully introduced throughout the world in the early 1980s. Since then complex and expensive ovarian stimulation protocols have appeared to obtain large numbers of oocytes for fertilization in vitro. Presently the total number of IVF is approaching half a million worldwide with an estimated average pregnancy rate of 10-15% per embryo transfer. Focus of the study has changed from empirical endocrine and surgical approaches for fertility therapy to IVF. Since IVF many development have emerged which further raises ethical issues. With these developments it has created entirely new possibilities for future procreation plus highly complex questions about ethical legal psychosocial and medical boundaries. Fertility specialists and biologists now have gametes under their controls enabling procreation with desired genes at a desired time and in the desired female. However the manipulation of human gametes or embryos may induce subtle but far-reaching changes in the genetic material of an offspring. Therefore it is still best to rely on the doctors opinion.