British pioneer of In Vitro Fertilization wins Nobel Prize
October 4th, 2010 - 6:20 pm ICT by ANINew York, Oct. 4 (ANI): Britisher Robert Edwards has won the 2010 Nobel Prize in medicine for the development of in-vitro fertilization, a breakthrough that has helped millions of infertile couples to have children.
“His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a medical condition afflicting a large proportion of humanity including more than 10 percent of all couples worldwide,” the medicine prize committee in Stockholm said in its citation.
Edwards, an 85-year-old professor emeritus at the University of Cambridge, started working on IVF already in 1950s. He developed the technique, in which egg cells are fertilized outside the body and implanted in the womb, together with Patrick Steptoe, who died in 1988.
On July 25, 1978, Louise Brown in Britain became the first baby born through the groundbreaking procedure, marking a revolution in fertility treatment.
“Approximately 4 million individuals have been born thanks to IVF,” the citation said.
It added: “Today, Robert Edwards’ vision is a reality and brings joy to infertile people all over the world.”
The probability of an infertile couple taking home a baby after a cycle of IVF today is 1 in 5, about the same that healthy couples have of conceiving naturally.
Steptoe and Edwards founded the first IVF clinic at Bourn Hall in Cambridge. (ANI)
- IVF Pioneer Robert Edwards Wins Noble Prize For Medicine - Oct 04, 2010
- In vitro pioneer Robert Edwards awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine - Oct 05, 2010
- British infertility clinic opens centre in Kerala - Apr 14, 2011
- British physiologist wins 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine - Oct 04, 2010
- Vatican official slams committee for awarding Nobel Prize to IVF pioneer Carrasco - Oct 05, 2010
- Stress, hectic lifestyle raises IVF demand - Sep 03, 2011
- All in a day's work: Doctor delivers 15 babies - Nov 24, 2010
- Nobel Prize 2010 For Chemistry Physics And Medicine Announced - Oct 06, 2010
- Italy's church official condemns medicine Nobel - Oct 05, 2010
- 16 years after son died, child born to elerly Haryana couple - Feb 29, 2012
- British fertility device as effective as IVF - Oct 18, 2010
- Fertility treatments show diminishing returns - Aug 06, 2010
- Handheld fertility device 'as effective as IVF' - Oct 19, 2010
- IVF centres lack counselling facilities: Survey - Oct 13, 2011
- Infertile women can still conceive - Feb 21, 2012
Tags: 1950s, bourn hall, british pioneer, citation, egg cells, fertility treatment, infertile couple, infertile couples, infertility, ivf clinic, louise brown, medical condition, nobel prize in medicine, patrick steptoe, prize committee, professor emeritus, robert edwards, university of cambridge, vitro fertilization, womb