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Science Friday > Archives > 2003 > July
> July 25, 2003:
Hour One: Louise Brown's Birthday (25 Years of IVF)
Happy birthday, Louise.
25 years ago today, Louise Brown, the first child to be born as the
result of in vitro fertilization techniques was born in England. Though
a bit on the small side -- 5 pounds, 12 ounces -- the blond haired,
blue eyed baby girl was a normal human baby, putting to rest fears
that assisted reproduction might create children with physical or
mental handicaps. Now, 25 years later, in vitro fertilization and
the various procedures developed after Louise's birth have changed
the practice of reproductive medicine, allowing many people with fertility
problems to become parents.
At the same time, however, the development of IVF and other assisted
reproductive techniques has spawned many legal and ethical questions.
What does it mean to 'be a parent?' What are the rights of people
involved in IVF procedures, and what are their responsibilities? In
this hour of Science Friday, we'll talk about the historic birth of
Louise Brown and other early children conceived through assisted reproductive
technologies. We'll also find out where the field is going, and talk
about some of the legal and ethical questions posed by these techniques.
Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern),
and share your opinions online in our Listeners' Lounge (registration required).
Guests:
Marcelle Cedars, M.D.
Director of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
UCSF Medical Center
at Mount Zion
University of California at San Francisco
San Francisco, California
George Annas
Edward R. Utley Professor
Chair,
Department of Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights
Boston University School
of Public Health
Professor, School of Medicine and School of Law
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
Robin Marantz Henig
Author,"Pandora's Baby: How the First Test Tube Babies Sparked the
Reproductive Revolution," (Houghton Mifflin, in press)
New York, New York
Howard Jones
Co-founder of the Jones Institute
for Reproductive Medicine
Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Norfolk, Virginia
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
Scientific
American: Pandora's Baby
Think
Baby Louise, And Don't Be Afraid (washingtonpost.com)
RESOLVE:
The National Infertility Association
ASRM
: Infertility, Reproduction, Menopause, Andrology, ...
ASRM:
FACT SHEET: In Vitro Fertilization ( IVF )
IVF.net
- IVF, Infertility and Embryology News and Resources for Scientists
and Patients
frontline:
making babies
NOVA
Online | 18 Ways to Make a Baby
This segment produced by Charles Bergquist
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