In 1978, the world’s first IVF (in vitro fertilization) baby was born in the United Kingdom—43 years ago!
To date, over 8 million IVF babies have been born worldwide. In Europe, 3 out of every 100 newborns are IVF babies! According to statistics, nearly 15% of couples in Taiwan suffer from infertility. Due to declining birthrates and increasing maternal age, IVF has become a common reproductive option. In 2018, the number of IVF births in Taiwan exceeded 10,000!

IVF is an assisted reproductive technology that involves retrieving eggs from a woman’s ovaries, fertilizing them with sperm outside the body, and culturing the embryos in a laboratory before transferring them back into the uterus, where they develop into fetuses until birth.

Couples who choose IVF are often of advanced maternal age, have experienced recurrent miscarriages, or suffer from unexplained infertility—conditions frequently caused by chromosomal abnormalities in embryos, preventing implantation and further development. With advancements in reproductive medicine, it is now possible to perform preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGS/PGT-A) to select embryos with normal chromosomes for implantation, significantly reducing the risk of pregnancy failure.

The health and development of IVF babies have always been topics of great concern. Studies show there are no differences between IVF babies and naturally conceived babies in terms of growth. Apart from the increased chance of preterm birth due to multiple gestations, clinical data does not show a higher rate of congenital defects in IVF babies. Therefore, there is no need to worry about their health or development. Some studies even suggest IVF babies are smarter, though this is often attributed to the greater care and investment parents devote postnatally. Thanks to today’s medical advancements, the health and development of IVF babies are thoroughly protected and highly reliable.