She grew in a glass jar as an embryo and was later placed in her mothers womb.
Louise Brown, the worlds first baby conceived outside of the human body, celebrated her 43rd birthday this July 25. I was subjected to more than 100 tests after my birth to ensure I was a normal child, she told THE WEEK.
Louise was a child of perseverance and relentless hope. Her parentsGilbert John Brown, a truck driver, and Lesleydesperately wanted a baby. The couple, who lived in Whitchurch, England, tried to conceive for nine years without success. Lesley had fallopian tube blockages that made natural conception impossible. She had undergone failed operations in the past to clear her blocked tubes and was prepared to put up with anything to have a baby.
On November 10, 1978, the couple underwent a procedure, wherein a mature egg extracted from one of Lesleys ovaries was fused with Johns sperm in a laboratory under the direction of physiologist Sir Robert Geoffrey Edwards and gynaecologist Patrick Christopher Steptoe. Lesley was warned that there was only a one in a million chance of having a baby, but she clung to hope.
The egg was fertilised and divided into two, four and then eight cells. Lesley got pregnant after the eight-celled embryo was implanted in her womb. Being the first woman to have conceived via in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and have a pregnancy that went beyond a few weeks, Lesley attracted a lot of media attention. Edwards and Steptoe found it hard to shield her from the media frenzy. She was hounded by the press so much that Steptoe hid her in his car and drove her to his mothers place in Lincoln. Later, when Lesley was admitted to Oldham hospital for delivery, reporters entered her room posing as housekeeping staff.
Louise Joy Brown, weighing five pounds 12 ounces, was born by C-section at 11.47pm on July 25, 1978. The Joy in her name was a suggestion from the two doctors. Her birth marked a milestone in modern medical science. It was described by TIME as the most awaited birth in perhaps 2,000 years. The baby offered a ray of hope to millions of childless couples across the world. Until then, for women with damaged fallopian tubes, it was impossible to conceive. Edwards won the Nobel Prize in 2010 for the development of IVF therapy, considered one of the most remarkable medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. Around eight million babies have been born in the last four decades through assisted reproduction technologies, including IVF.
Louise realised she was an IVF baby only when she started going to school. Lesley showed her a video footage of her birth. IVF was unheard of in those days and people were curious about her unique birth. She had always been big-bodied and some would ask her how she managed to fit in the test tube.
The Browns were in the spotlight for many years after Louises birth. They were criticised for allowing the doctors to film the birth. Soon after Louises birth, Lesley received a post bag full of letters splattered in red. Once, she received a box from the US that contained a broken test tube and a plastic foetus. Louise defended her mother, saying that letting the doctors film the birth was an act of gratitude for her.
Things were no different for Edwards and Steptoe. They had a hard time breaking the taboo and stereotypes around IVF. The idea of fertilising an egg outside the body has always been controversial. The first such successful experiment was done at Boston in 1944 by Miriam Menkin, essentially a scientist at heart and mind but often relegated to a lab technician or research assistant to the better-known fertility specialist and contraceptive pill co-developer John Rock. The research got derailed with Menkins move to North Carolina, where IVF was considered scandalous, following her husbands job loss. But it was Menkins initial research that eventually led to Louises birth through IVF.
Edwards, Steptoe and nurse Jean Purdy, whose contribution was forgotten till recently, feared criticism from the church and the public and they kept their work under wraps. Only five of the 282 women who underwent IVF could get clinically pregnant and none of them had delivered a live baby. Many embryos died during the process. Unsurprisingly, the medical community refused them support for research. The UK Medical Research Council feared children born through IVF would run a risk of fatal abnormalities. IVF children, Louise said, are no different from normal children. The only difference is the process of conception, she said. It is impossible to distinguish between an IVF baby and other children born naturally.
John and Lesley went for IVF again and had a second childNatalie. The couple wanted a third child, but their attempts failed. Natalie was the 40th child to be born through IVF. She became the first IVF child to conceive naturally, easing concerns that women born through IVF cannot conceive naturally. Natalie now has five children.For the Browns, IVF changed their life in more ways than one. Lesley was Johns second wife; he had two daughters from a previous marriage. John and Lesley, who stayed in an abandoned railway carriage on the first night of their elopement, had a hard life. Homeless, penniless and unemployed, they struggled a lot until John got a job as a bus conductor.
Infertility was an extremely frustrating experience for Lesley. In an interview to Daily Mail later, she said, You feel you are not the same as ordinary wives. You dont feel normal. You feel you are not a real woman. I said to John, Go and find a proper wife.
The couple couldnt afford IVF until 1977, when John won 750, by betting on the outcome of a football match. That helped him pay for the IVF treatment.After Louise was born, the Browns earned money by doing exclusives. Louises birth was reported exclusively by Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers Ltd, the parent company of Daily Mail, secured exclusive rights to the story and pictures reportedly by paying $600,000. Lesley and John stayed positive amid the negativity that was directed at them. They went on speaking assignments around the world as advocates for IVF.
Louise now lives in Oldham with her husband Wesley Mullinder, a nightclub bouncer. Interestingly, Mullinder first met Louise when she was just a few days old. Eight-year-old Mullinder lived across the street from the Browns and was among the crowd gathered to see the extraordinary baby. The duo later met when Louise was 24. Two years later, they were married. They have two boysCameron and Aiden. Cameron is 14 and has just begun with his General Certificate of Secondary Education exams; he will be applying for college in another two years. Aiden turned eight this August.
All her life, Louise received media attention. And now she is consciously using the media glare on her to break the stigma associated with infertility and IVF treatments. Couples suffer through a lot of emotional and psychological stress. I think no couple should be deprived of parenthood, said Louise, who has shared the story of her extraordinary birth and its impact on her life in her memoir My Life As The Worlds First Test Tube Baby. Through my association with ART Fertility Clinics India, I will be working towards the mission of making IVF the wise choice of treatment, enabling couples to realise the dream of parenthood. Another purpose is to assert that all those who need IVF should have access to it.
IVF has come a long way. Scientists now pin their hopes on IVG (in vitro gametogenesis), which could make it possible to produce babies from skin cells. IVG seemed promising when tested in mice. In 2016, a group of researchers in Japan created embryos using skin cells from mice. The embryos wereimplanted, and eight healthy mice were born.
Scientists are now exploring the possibility of making human babies in the lab using skin cells. Imagine a couple wanting to have a baby walking in to a lab to give their skin biopsy samples. The cells from these samples will be transformed into stem cells, which, in turn, will be reprogrammed into sperms and eggs. The process involves creating embryos outside the womb and then transferring them into the womans womb for implantation, as in IVF. IVG holds much promise for people who cannot conceive naturally, especially menopausal women, gay and lesbian couples and men with abnormal sperm function or low sperm production.
Dr Henry T. Greely, author of The End of Sex and the Future of Human Reproduction, said that in future, sex will no longer be a popular means of reproduction for people in developed countries. People will continue to have sex. But those who want to have a baby would prefer to go to a lab, said the Stanford professor of law and genetics. IVG for humans will be a reality within our lifetime, said Greely.
Every woman has the right to have a child, said Louise. Treatment for fertility problems is a right that should be made available to all women, she said. IVF not only creates a child, but a family, she added. Despite her extraordinary birth, Louise lives an ordinary life. She worked in a nursery in her early 20s. Currently, she works for a freight company in Bristol. Her days begin with planning meetings with her team at National Fertility Society; her evenings are dedicated to her family. Home means a lot to Louise, who was a much loved and much longed for child. Her mother had carefully kept everything concerned with her birth, from hospital appointment cards and correspondence to letters from journalists and well-wishers and even a movie script by Carl Foreman, Oscar-winning Hollywood film producer. Louise donated them to the Bristol Archives. Among them is a letter from Edwards to Lesley, dated December 6, 1977, which reads:
Dear Mrs Brown,
Just a short note to let you know that the early results on your blood and urine samples are very encouraging, and indicate that you might be in early pregnancy.
So please take things quietlyno skiing, climbing, or anything too strenuous including Xmas shopping!
If you should wish to get in touch with me for any reason before seeing Mr Steptoe next week, my laboratory number is 0223 65069, and my home number is 0223 54019. Best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
Dr R.G. Edwards
All these mementos were found in Lesleys wardrobe following her death. She died due to complications of a gallbladder infection on June 6, 2012. She never regretted her choices.
Read more here:
What it means to be the worlds first IVF baby - THE WEEK
- North Carolina Stem Cell Treatment | Stem Cell Treatments [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2014]
- Carolina Stem Cell Treatment Center | carolina stem ... [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2014]
- The Man Who Grew Eyes From Scratch [Last Updated On: August 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: August 26th, 2014]
- For the first time, researchers isolate adult stem cells ... [Last Updated On: August 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: August 26th, 2014]
- Charlotte NC Resources - Stem Cells: Get Facts on Uses ... [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2014]
- Fayetteville North Carolina Stem Cell Research ... [Last Updated On: September 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 16th, 2014]
- Study Offers Fertility Preservation Option to Young Boys with Cancer [Last Updated On: October 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2014]
- Local doctor uses stem cells to heal [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2014]
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell ... [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2014]
- New e-Incubator enables real-time imaging of bioengineered tissues in controlled unit [Last Updated On: November 5th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 5th, 2014]
- Dying child approved for new treatment testing [Last Updated On: January 2nd, 2015] [Originally Added On: January 2nd, 2015]
- Cancer Care Northwest Stem Cell Transplantation [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2015] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2015]
- COPD Prognosis Stem Cells Canada, COPD Alternative ... [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2015]
- Image: Human endothelial cells experiment bound for ISS [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2015]
- Core labs | North Carolina Biotech Center [Last Updated On: April 29th, 2015] [Originally Added On: April 29th, 2015]
- Cary North Carolina Stem Cell Research | Cary NC Stem Cell ... [Last Updated On: July 2nd, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 2nd, 2015]
- JCI - Type 2 alveolar cells are stem cells in adult lung [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2015]
- Stem Cell Research in North Carolina ... Whats Really ... [Last Updated On: August 5th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 5th, 2016]
- Biotechnology Teacher Resources Online | North Carolina ... [Last Updated On: August 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 19th, 2016]
- Cato - Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina [Last Updated On: August 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 21st, 2016]
- Cary NC Stem Cell Treatment | Cary North Carolina Cancer ... [Last Updated On: November 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 16th, 2016]
- Lung fibrosis? Stem cell therapy holds promise - The Hindu - The Hindu [Last Updated On: August 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 11th, 2017]
- Stem cells may treat lung fibrosis diseases - Futurity: Research News [Last Updated On: August 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 11th, 2017]
- CRISPR Edits Genome of Human Embryos - Alzforum [Last Updated On: August 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 11th, 2017]
- Former basketball star Greg Friel in fight of his life - Fosters - Foster's Daily Democrat [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2017]
- Avalon Advisors Has Decreased Its Comcast Cmn Class (CMCSA) Position; Neuralstem (CUR)'s Sentiment Is 0 - High Point Observer [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2017]
- Stem Cells in Focus - Blog - Closer Look at Stem Cells [Last Updated On: October 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: October 10th, 2017]
- Spotlights Archive | The University of North Carolina at ... [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2017]
- Charlotte, North Carolina - Stem Cells Transplant Institute [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2018] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2018]
- Stem Cell Greensboro North Carolina 27455 [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2018] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2018]
- Bone Marrow Transplant | Durham, Raleigh, North Carolina ... [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2018] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2018]
- Stem Cell Therapy North Carolina | Regenerative Medicine ... [Last Updated On: October 4th, 2018] [Originally Added On: October 4th, 2018]
- Stem Cell Therapy Latest Research Charlotte, North Carolina [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2018]
- Alumna to compete for Miss America crown on Sunday - UNCSA [Last Updated On: February 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: February 3rd, 2019]
- Stem Cell Chapel Hill North Carolina 27514 [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2019] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2019]
- Clinical Trial for Autism - cordbloodbank.com [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2019] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2019]
- Stem Cell Winston Salem North Carolina 27150 [Last Updated On: April 5th, 2019] [Originally Added On: April 5th, 2019]
- Cesca Therapeutics Inc. (KOOL) Can't Be More Safe. Trades Significantly Higher - Invest Tribune [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2019]
- Global Synthetic Stem Cells Market to Accumulate Revenues Worth US $42 Million By 2025 - ZMR News Research [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2019]
- Heal Yourself: How Exosome Therapy Can Repair Age-Damaged Skin - Market Research Finance [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2019]
- Global Synthetic Stem Cells Market Estimated to Reach USD 42 Million By 2025 - Daily Market Updates [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2019]
- Reviewing BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BCRX)'s and Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:BCLI)'s results - MS Wkly [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2019]
- Reviewing vTv Therapeutics Inc. (VTVT)'s and Asterias Biotherapeutics Inc. (:)'s results - MS Wkly [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2019]
- Clinic pitches unproven treatments to desperate patients, with tips on raising the cash - Seattle Times [Last Updated On: December 6th, 2019] [Originally Added On: December 6th, 2019]
- Synthetic Stem Cells Market Is Expecting Revolutionary Growth 2019 with Top Key Players: North Carolina State University (NCSU), Zhengzhou University... [Last Updated On: December 6th, 2019] [Originally Added On: December 6th, 2019]
- Top Florida Medical Spa, Amnion of Florida, Partners With Merakris Therapeutics to Advance Their Non-Surgical Treatment Options - Business Wire [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2019] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2019]
- The Future of Bioprinting Research Has a New Road Map - 3DPrint.com [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- Searching for the 'big break' that could turn stem cells into a weapon against dementia - Genetic Literacy Project [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2020]
- Why Some COVID-19 Cases Are Worse than Others - The Scientist [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2020]
- Treatment in clinical trial offers options to woman fighting return of cancer (+ video) - WRAL Tech Wire [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2020]
- Balding men could grow hair back in weeks thanks to 'miracle potion' - Daily Star [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2020]
- Study finds little evidence to back cord-blood therapy for autism - Spectrum [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2020]
- Inside the race to ditch formula and grow breast milk in the lab - Wired.co.uk [Last Updated On: August 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 23rd, 2020]
- Chancellor Harold L. Martin, on His Plan to Safely Open the Nation's Largest HCBU During COVID-19 - TIME [Last Updated On: August 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 23rd, 2020]
- Bayer to acquire Asklepios Bio in foray into gene therapy worth up to $4 billion - Reuters [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2021]
- Invisible pest causes more than $1 billion in crop losses - The Albany Herald [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2021]
- After Bone Marrow Donation Saves 9-Year-Old Boy With Cancer, Boston Mom Fights To Raise Awareness - Here And Now [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2021]
- Researchers curb local immune response in horses receiving stem cell injury therapy - Horsetalk [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2021]
- Nanodecoy Therapy is an Effective Alternative to Neutralize SARS-CoV-2 Virus - AZoNano [Last Updated On: June 23rd, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 23rd, 2021]
- 'Nanodecoy' Therapy Binds and Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 Virus - NC State News [Last Updated On: June 23rd, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 23rd, 2021]
- Cellectis Announces Participation in Five Investor Conferences - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2021]
- Study Underway to Evaluate New PD-1/CD3 Antibody in T-cell Lymphoma - Targeted Oncology [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2021] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2021]
- Cytovia and Cellectis Expand Their TALEN Gene-Edited iNK Partnership to Enable Broader ... - The Bakersfield Californian [Last Updated On: November 22nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: November 22nd, 2021]
- Hoth Therapeutics Announces a Sponsored Research Agreement to Further Develop Novel mRNA Cancer Therapeutic HT-KIT - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: November 22nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: November 22nd, 2021]
- Jasper Therapeutics to Present Updated Data on JSP191 Conditioning in SCID Patients at the 2022 Clinical Immunology Society Annual Meeting - Yahoo... [Last Updated On: April 6th, 2022] [Originally Added On: April 6th, 2022]
- A Cure for Type 1 Diabetes? For One Man, It Seems to Have Worked. [Last Updated On: June 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: June 4th, 2022]
- The Soybean Plant | NC State Extension Publications [Last Updated On: June 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: June 4th, 2022]
- How psilocybin, the psychedelic in mushrooms, may rewire the brain to ease depression, anxiety - WYFF4 Greenville [Last Updated On: June 13th, 2022] [Originally Added On: June 13th, 2022]
- Pediatric Urologist Dr. Anthony Atala to Receive 2022 Jacobson Innovation Award of the American College of Surgeons for Pioneering Work in... [Last Updated On: June 13th, 2022] [Originally Added On: June 13th, 2022]
- BioRestorative Therapies Annou - GuruFocus.com [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2022]
- W-S organization working on regenerative therapies for 40 organs, tissues - WRAL TechWire [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2022]
- Inceptor Bio Announces Strategic Collaboration with University of Minnesota to Develop Novel iPSC Platform for the Advancement of Next-Generation... [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2022]
- How psilocybin, the psychedelic in mushrooms, may rewire the brain to ease depression, anxiety and more - KYMA [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2022] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2022]
- Vegan Oysters in Shells? This Startup Just Developed a Prototype to Save the Oceans - VegNews [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2022] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2022]
- Lifting up NC Teachers of the Year and TFA alumni - EdNC [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2022]
- Grafting and Budding Nursery Crop Plants - North Carolina State University [Last Updated On: October 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 4th, 2022]
- A Look Into the Next Century After 100 Years of Insulin - Cureus [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 13th, 2022]
- Scientists Discover Protein Partners that Could Heal Heart Muscle | Newsroom - UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 13th, 2022]
- Global Synthetic Stem Cells Market Is Expected To Reach Around USD 42 Million By 2025 - openPR [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 13th, 2022]
- Israeli-Based 3D-Printed Lab-Grown Meat Company is Building World's ... [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2022] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2022]