Elizabeth Jordan CarrIn 1981, the first American “test tube” baby conceived through in vitro fertilization was born on this morning, a 5-lb 12-oz girl, at Norfolk General Hospital. The term “in vitro” is Latin for “in glass,” because conception takes place in a laboratory dish. The U.S. procedure was performed by the Howard and Georgeanna Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, which now draws patients from around the world with its advanced and comprehensive treatment of reproductive disorders, male and female. In vitro fertilization was a medical breakthrough because it helped doctors overcome intractable problems with a woman's fallopian tubes or a man's sperm count. The world's first “test-tube” baby, Louise Brown, was born in England, on 25 Jul 1978. |
