Louise Brown, world's first IVF baby, to have childDr Kirsty HorseyProgress Educational Trust11 July 2006 |
Louise Brown, the world's first test tube baby, is expecting her own child. Now aged 27, Louise was born after the first successful IVF treatment on 25 July 1978 - now she and her husband, Wesley Mullinder, are preparing for their first baby in January.
The couple married in September 2004 and started trying for a baby - and were able to conceive naturally. They are said to be 'overjoyed' by the news. 'This is a dream come true for both of us', said Louise. 'We are so excited about becoming parents and I know that Louise will make a fantastic mother', added Wesley. After the couple married they were asked about having children. Louise said: 'We'd love to have children of our own one day and, hopefully, we won't need to use IVF'.
Louise Brown's birth came after 12 years of research by Dr Robert Edwards and the late Dr Patrick Steptoe, based at Cambridge and Oldham respectively. Her birth, at Oldham and District General Hospital, made headlines all around the world. Recent statistics showed that more than three million IVF babies have been born worldwide since Louise Brown.
In November 1999, Louise Brown's sister, Natalie, gave birth to a baby girl called Casey, the first baby born to a parent herself conceived by IVF - Natalie was the 40th IVF baby to be born in the UK, and her having a child allayed fears that those conceived by IVF might be infertile themselves. She has since had another child.
Reproduced with permission from BioNews, an email and online sources of news, information and comment on assisted reproduction and genetics.
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