World now has 5 million test-tube babies

First was born in 1978.

July 2, 2012 at 8:37PM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Five million "test-tube babies" have now been born around the world, according to research presented at a conference of fertility experts. Delegates hailed it as a "remarkable milestone" for fertility treatments.

The first test tube baby, Louise Brown, was born in the United Kingdom in July 1978. However, delegates at the conference in Turkey warned couples not to use fertility treatment as an "insurance policy" if they delayed parenthood.

About 1.5 million cycles of in vitro fertilization, and similar techniques, are performed every year, resulting in 350,000 babies worldwide.

IVF success rates (based on figures for 2008)
33.1% for women under 35
27.2% for women aged 35-37
19.3% for women aged 38-39
12.5% for women aged 40-42

Read more from BBC News.

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Colleen Stoxen

Deputy Managing Editor for News Operations

Colleen Stoxen oversees hiring, intern programs, newsroom finances, news production and union relations. She has been with the Minnesota Star Tribune since 1987, after working as a copy editor and reporter at newspapers in California, Indiana and North Dakota.

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