Test Tube Baby: Process & Cost Explained

What is Test Tube Baby?

A kid conceived outside of a woman’s body is referred to as a test tube baby. To be more specific, test tube babies are defined as children conceived in a lab environment using the scientific process known as in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Since the Petri dish—a type of device used for combining eggs and sperm—was first used in the groundbreaking work of Edwards and Steptoe, the name test tube is a little misleading. Therefore, one could argue that the term test tube baby is oversimplified when referring to an IVF-conceived child. Consequently, there exists NO distinction between IVF and the term test tube baby.

First Test Tube Baby

Test tube Baby Process

It is a general phrase used to refer to the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process in medicine. The woman’s egg is fertilized with the man’s sperm outside of her body during this process. Until the egg becomes an embryo, this fertilization process takes place in a lab setting, usually in a Petri dish. The pregnancy process is then started by implanting the embryo into the woman’s uterus.

The following situations highlight the importance of IVF:

When fallopian tubes are damaged.
When there are insufficient eggs for fertilization due to irregular or missing ovulation.
When there is early ovarian failure.
In cases when endometriosis, a disorder marked by tissue growth outside the uterus, is present.

Test tube Baby Step by Step Process

Step 1: Hormone Stimulation and Oocyte Production

Stimulating the growth of the egg inside the female’s body is the first step in creating a test tube baby. Two prescribed injectable hormones, gonadotropins and GnRHa, are mainly used for this purpose.

When these hormones are given in precisely calculated amounts, the follicles that are already present in the ovaries are stimulated to grow and mature. An hCG injection promotes the last stage of egg maturation; egg retrieval usually takes place 36 hours after the injection.

Step 2: Oocyte Retrieval

The next stage is to surgically remove the eggs from the female’s body after hormone stimulation. Either local or general anesthetic is used during this treatment to guarantee the least amount of discomfort.

The fluid from every mature follicle and the eggs are removed from each ovary using a needle-equipped vaginal ultrasound probe. The fluid is then inspected under a microscope to determine the identity of the eggs, which are subsequently incubated in a petri dish with a specific medium.

Step 3: Semen Collection

Concurrent with the procedure of retrieving the eggs, the male partner offers a new sample of semen. This is crucial for the next step, where fertilization requires both sperm and eggs.

Step 4: Fertilization in Petri Dish

Crucial to the process of creating a test tube baby is combining the collected sperm and eggs in a petri dish. The petri dish is combined and then incubated to allow for fertilization.

The expert evaluates the combination the next day to look for evidence of fertilization and watches the embryo’s growth over the next few days to make sure it is ready to be transferred into the uterus.

Step 5: Embryo Transfer

To create a test tube baby, the developed embryos are transferred into the woman’s uterus at the final stage. One to three separate embryos are inserted into the uterus using a thin catheter. After embryo transfer, hormone support is given to aid in the possibility of pregnancy.

To ascertain the status of pregnancy, blood beta-hCG levels are assessed 14 days after embryo transfer. Test tube pregnancies can have success rates as high as 50% for single embryo transfer cycles and as high as 85–90% for three embryo transfer cycles combined. Success rates, however, vary throughout couples and are dependent on several variables.

Test tube Baby Cost:

In India, the cost of treating a test-tube infant normally runs between ₹1.5 and ₹2.5 lakhs. The precise cost, however, may differ based on a number of variables, including the clinic of choice, the level of skill of the medical staff, and the particulars of the treatment plan.

Difference between test tube baby and IVF

Technically speaking, there is no difference between the idea of a test-tube baby and in-vitro fertilization (IVF). When an embryo is produced in vitro—that is, outside of the woman’s fallopian tube—in a test tube or petri dish during IVF treatment, the phrase “test tube baby” first appeared. Through the IVF process, a test-tube baby is essentially formed outside of a woman’s body. The developed embryo is then inserted through implantation into the woman’s uterus.

In conclusion, in-vitro fertilization (IVF), or test tube baby technology, has transformed reproductive medicine and given hope to infertile couples. IVF, despite its slang term, is a sophisticated set of operations meant to assist people in becoming parents. IVF success rates are rising as technology develops, giving those who are having trouble conceiving new hope. In order to guarantee that everyone has the chance to experience the joy of parenthood, it is imperative that accessibility and cost of IVF procedures be given top priority going forward.