What are the different types of assisted reproductive technology (ART)?
Author: Isabel Tagge
Website: http://www.Infertility-Tips.com
Added: Mon, Oct 30, 2006 20:40:55
Category: Infertility Questions
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Assisted reproductive technology (ART) involves several advanced techniques, including:
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) - This techniques became famous after the birth of the world's first "test-tube baby," Louise Brown, in 1978. It is often used if a woman's fallopian tubes are blocked or a man's sperm count is low. It involves a drug that enhances ovulation so that the ovaries produce multiple eggs. Once mature, these eggs are removed and stored in individual petri dishes, where they will be combined with a man's sperm for fertilization. After 40 hours, each egg is evaluated and if it has been successfully fertilized by the sperm, it is then placed into the woman's uterus.
- Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer (GIFT) - This technique is similar to IVF, but is used only when a woman has at least one normal fallopian tube. Three to five eggs are placed in the fallopian tube together with sperm cells, so that fertilization can hopefully take place inside the woman's body.
- Zygote Intra-Fallopian Transfer (ZIFT), also known as Tubal Embryo Transfer - This is a combination of IVF and GIFT. Eggs collected from a woman's ovaries are fertilized in the laboratory and then placed in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus.
Some of these ART techniques involve the use of donor eggs (eggs from a woman who is not the patient) or previously-frozen embryos, especially in cases where the patient has damaged ovaries or some genetic disorder that could be passed on to a child.
keywords: Infertility | Fertility Pregnancy | ICSI | IVF | In Vitro Fertilization | sperm | Reproduction About the Author:
Isabel Tagge answers frequently asked infertility questions at PrettyGreatAnswers.com.
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