English
Deutsch
February 2023
May 2019
Three Reasons IVF Will Boom in 2019
In Vitro Fertilisation came into the public eye around 1978, when the first baby from the process was born in England. It had been in development for a long time before then, as early as the 1890s, but today we are so familiar with it that the history gets lost. The procedure has only been growing in popularity since that time, and today it is a common option for couples experiencing issues in fertility. In this article we scanned the headlines to give you some of the top causes for the growth of IVF today – and reasons for why we think it will keep growing in 2019.
IVF technology is going places
IVF is widely available, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy procedure for the experts. One of the most difficult tasks is manually grading the embryos in a laboratory, which is time consuming and costly. This requires the embryologist to look under a microscope and embryos and determine which can be used in fertilisation, something that requires an excellent eye and level of recognition. Recent research suggests that AI algorithms can be taught to recognise good embryos and pick them out, something that was done using a widely available program. With this kind of development future IVF procedures could be potentially cheaper, quicker and safer for the child being born.
The market is booming
As the procedure becomes more advanced, affordable and safe, it only follows that the market grows too. IVF has been steadily growing since it became publicly available and there are no signs of slowing as it currently stands. Certain sectors of the IVF market are expected to reach over 800 million dollars in value by 2023, and in general the industry is predicted to grow by 10% at least. Let’s not forget that the medical travel and tourism industry is also predicted to grow a massive 25% as we enter the 2020’s – and that the practice of going abroad for IVF has contributed massively to overall growth.
Research shows it’s safer for children
A long standing concern over IVF has been over how safe the procedure is for the children being born, with some sources claiming it can make them susceptible to a range of diseases in later life. A recent study carried out by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute looked at the health of over 200 adults born through IVF in their 20s and 30s – finding no evidence of increased risk to heart, metabolic or respiratory issues. This is the oldest age that has been studied so far with IVF children, and the results are positive. Data like this reassures patients worldwide and only increases trust in IVF.
So whatever your reason for choosing IVF, these three are certainly up there when it comes to the growth of the procedure. We should keep in mind that this doesn’t just mean more people choosing IVF, but safer and more secure procedures that a wider public are educated about.
Sources:
https://www.6pr.com.au/podcast/children-conceived-through-ivf-rate-highly-on-quality-of-life/
https://ivf-worldwide.com/ivf-history.html
https://www.wired.com/story/ai-could-scan-ivf-embryos-to-help-make-babies-more-quickly/
