History of IVF and the first procedure in Russia

In-vitro fertilization (IVF) started out as a ground-breaking scientific breakthrough that gave infertile couples hope. The late 20th century saw the realization of a dream that permanently altered family planning options.

A significant development in this worldwide progress is Russia’s role in the IVF narrative. Decades ago, the nation undertook its first IVF procedure, imitating other trailblazing countries. With this development, Russian reproductive medicine took a major step forward and provided new opportunities for child-bearing couples.

More people have access to treatments that were previously thought to be unattainable thanks to advancements in IVF technology. Knowing the background of in vitro fertilization (IVF), particularly its introduction in Russia, shows how science has advanced to support family formation in previously unthinkable ways.

In vitro fertilization, or IVF, has transformed reproductive medicine and given infertile couples hope. The world’s first "test-tube baby," Louise Brown, was born in 1978 as a result of the first successful IVF procedure in England. Elena Dontsova’s birth in 1986 brought Russia into the breakthrough and was a significant turning point in the nation’s medical history. Since then, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has gained popularity in Russia, assisting numerous families in fulfilling their desire to start a family.

How it all began?

Prior to the realization that every effort should be made to combat infertility, the only options available to infertile couples were to either live "for themselves" or accept themselves and adopt an orphan and dedicate their entire being to it. Certain types of infertility in men and women could not be treated; in such cases, medical professionals, society, and religion advised the couple to accept their infertility as inevitable.

In the middle of the 20th century, the process of removing an egg from a woman’s body, fertilizing it outside the mother’s body, and then putting the fertilized eggs—from which an embryo had already started to develop—into the uterus was still regarded as something out of science fiction. Furthermore, the number of people who were created "in a test tube" has already reached approximately 5 million on the globe, and it is rising quickly each year.

American researcher Hamilton was the first to consider the possibility of helping infertile couples; in 1944, he started researching the feasibility of removing eggs and fertilizing them. However, he was unable to produce noteworthy outcomes. However, the physician developed a strong theoretical foundation. Inspired by Hamilton’s experiments, colleagues in another American clinic that year carried out about 800 experiments, but only three eggs were able to divide outside the mother’s body to the state of two blastomeres.

Dr. Chang (USA) came to the conclusion in 1951 that his colleagues’ failures were caused by a lack of knowledge about the ideal conditions for the egg to be in and the fertilization process. And he starts creating nutrient-rich media. The description of all the phases of oocyte division by Soviet scientist G. Petrov in 1954 marked a significant advance in reproductive science. Scientists everywhere now knew which way to go in their research.

British physiologist Robert Edwards made a startling discovery in 1966: a woman’s eggs mature 36 hours after the peak of luteinizing hormone in her body. He received the 2010 Nobel Prize in recognition of this.

When they took up the mantle in 1973, in Australia, Carl Wood managed to carry out the first successful implantation of a fertilized egg into a woman. The pregnancy was ended after a while due to the embryo’s rejection, despite the astounding success.

A team from Great Britain achieved the first notable success. They successfully fertilized an egg and placed the resulting embryo inside a woman’s uterus in 1977. Louise Brown became the first girl to be born "from a test tube" in 1978. The first child conceived through IVF is now forty years of age. Louise is a mother of her own children, whom she naturally conceived.

Australians persevered in their research, and in 1983 they welcomed their first child, derived from a cryopreserved (frozen) embryo. They were on the verge of conquering infertility. These same scientists were able to take the sperm of a man who had severe infertility, fertilize an egg with it through surgery, and transfer it three years later. That same year, the first baby was born as a result of IVF using a donor embryo. A robust and healthy baby was born.

In the USSR, the first IVF procedure was successful in 1985. Physicians from Moscow’s Center for the Protection of Mother and Child Health carried out the artificial insemination procedure. February 1986 saw the birth of a girl. A boy was born in Leningrad that same year as a result of another successful IVF cycle. Since there was no information available regarding the growth and development of children conceived against the will of nature in laboratory settings, these children became the center of professional attention for all the doctors in the large country.

Physicians in the capital performed the first IVF procedure in post-Soviet Russia. And almost instantly, fertility clinics offering in vitro fertilization services started popping up across the nation. Initially in its larger cities, followed by smaller ones.

It was decided by the Russian government in 2010 to open up the procedure to the public. The president brought up the matter in an effort to address urgent demographic concerns. Initially, the Russian government set aside 1.5 billion rubles to support 10,000 childless couples attempting to conceive at state expense through in vitro fertilization.

IVF has been a part of the mandatory medical insurance program since 2014. Couples who have clear indications for assisted reproductive technologies can undergo the procedure under the terms of a mandatory medical insurance policy, provided they meet certain requirements, such as having a policy, being a citizen of Russia, and not being older than 39.

How IVF has changed?

Initially, animal biological material was used for all experiments and tests. Public outrage erupted when they started experimenting with human reproductive cells. Religious leaders, particularly those from Orthodoxy and Catholicism, vehemently objected to any meddling in the enigma surrounding the beginning of human existence. It started to spread that children conceived this way are sterile, have no soul, are not like regular children, and have various abnormalities and deformities.

Time has rearranged a lot of things. With the exception of Catholicism, most religions now allow IVF under specific guidelines: it cannot be used to create "extra" embryos after zygote selection, it cannot be used to use donor oocytes or sperm, and it cannot be used to use donor embryos. Certain cultures and religions, like Judaism and Buddhism, have also accepted this. Regardless, the church’s stance has shifted since 1.2% of all babies born today are "IVF" babies, according to statistics.

The first "eco" kids grew up, became teens, and eventually became adults as time went on. Their experiences have amply demonstrated how many of the myths and prejudices surrounding children "from a test tube," such as infertility and developmental abnormalities, were unfounded. The first kids created through in vitro fertilization are now adults and have kids of their own.

Psychologists report that the development of children born via IVF does not lag behind age norms in any way, and in some cases, it even outpaces them. Additionally, IVF children do not experience higher rates of illness than other children.

Over the course of four decades, numerous changes have also been made to the procedure. Initially, the process of fertilization was done in a lab setting with a single fresh oocyte and fresh sperm. The embryo was then placed into the uterus following a normal cycle. Subsequently, doctors started using IVF in a stimulated protocol after realizing that one or two obtained eggs is insufficient to increase the chances of conception and pregnancy.

A woman undergoes hormonal therapy in the first half of her menstrual cycle, which accelerates the maturation of many follicles. The woman continues to receive hormones, but different ones, after the embryos are implanted, helping to create the most natural conditions in her body for a successful implantation and pregnancy. On the appropriate day, doctors receive not one, but several eggs.

They started using cryopreservation of embryos, sperm, and gametes a little while later. Nowadays, a lot of IVF couples store either frozen embryos in "reserve" or frozen eggs in a cryobank in case they decide to have another child in the future. This enables you to postpone becoming pregnant until the time that the couple decides is most appropriate. There is a possibility of becoming pregnant at nearly any age, even beyond 50, if fatherhood and motherhood are postponed.

Currently, a variety of techniques are used in Russia to carry out assisted reproductive technology, including the natural cycle, stimulation, cryoembryos, cryooocytes, and cryosperm, as well as donor biomaterial and embryos. Although it has not yet advanced to the same degree as in Israeli clinics, surrogacy is likewise growing.

There is no concrete scientific proof to support the recent social media buzz that IVF makes women more likely to develop cancer.

IVF’s history is one of advancement and hope, enabling families who previously faced formidable obstacles to realize their dream of parenthood. Millions of people worldwide benefit from what was once a ground-breaking experiment that is now a standard medical procedure.

The first IVF treatment in Russia signaled a new chapter in the history of reproductive medicine and gave many couples hope for the future. This accomplishment not only mirrored developments throughout the world but also cleared the path for additional advancements in fertility treatment domestically.

IVF is still evolving today thanks to advancements in science and healthcare. It is still a very effective tool for strengthening families, bringing hope where there was none before, and opening doors to new opportunities.

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