About IVF

2010

In vitro UK pioneer Edwards wins medicine Nobel STOCKHOLM � Robert Edwards of Britain won the 2010 Nobel Prize in medicine for developing in vitro fertilization, a breakthrough that has helped millions of infertile couples have children.

2002

Severino Antinori, best known for his work in enabling post-menopausal women to have babies, claims that three human cloned pregnancies are taking place, two in Russia and one in 'an Islamic country'.

2001

Teams in the US and Italy announce that they are working on producing the first human clone.

2000

The culture of embryonic stem cells, some from 'spare' embryos donated by couples who have had successful IVF treatment, opens the way to 'made-to-order' tissue for transplant surgery.

1997

The birth of Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal.

1992

Rosanna della Corte gives birth to a son, Riccardo, at the age of 62 after IVF treatment by Severino Antinori.

First pregnancy as a result of IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).

1990

Human Fertility and Embryology Act in the UK and the setting up of the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority.

1988/89

Gamete IntraFallopian Transfer (GIFT) introduced and the first successful pregnancies achieved.

1986

The world's first pregnancy and birth from the sperm retrieval operation performed on a patient whose vasectomy reversal had failed.

IMC helped establish IVF Australia's first IVF clinic in America.

1985

First IVF twins born from frozen embryos born in Australia.

1984

World's First Donor Egg Baby. IMC team achieved the world's first birth in a woman without ovaries, using donor eggs, the creation of an artificial menstrual cycle, and a special hormone schedule for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Women who had no eggs or unsuitable eggs causing the risk of chromosomal or genetic disease were also treated.

1983

Freezing of human embryos by Alan Trounson and Linda Mohr,Infertility Medical Center (IMC), resulted in world's first frozen embryo baby.

1980

Two Australian teams succeed in IVF deliveries after drug-induced superovulation in the mother.

1979

First two sustained IVF pregnancies reported by Melbourne team in Australia.

1978

First IVF birth in the world, resulting from Bob Edwards and Patrick Steptoe's pioneering work in the UK. Birth of Louise Brown, the first 'test tube' baby born as a result of IVF.

1977

First IVF pregnancy - but it is ectopic.

1973

First IVF pregnancy in the world was reported by team in Melbourne, Australia, and resulted in early embryo death.

1969

Human fertilisation in vitro is achieved for the first time.

1960's

Big increase in knowledge of ovarian stimulants, how eggs mature, ovulation, fertilisation and the growth of the embryo in vitro, safer and better laparoscopy.

1955

Four successful pregnancies using previously frozen sperm.

1945

Early reports of donor insemination published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

1890

Robert Dickinson begins experimenting with donor sperm, although his work is carried out in secret because of the condemnation of the Church.

1785

First attempts at human artificial insemination by John Hunter - a baby is born the same year.

1777

Italian priest began experiments with artificial insemination of reptiles.

14th century AD

Accounts of Arab peoples using artificial insemination on horses.

3rd century AD

Records show that Jewish thinkers discussing possibility of accidental or unintentional human insemination by artificial means.