Fertility with Less Fuss

A new technique from Australia may make it easier and cheaper for couples to have test-tube babies

Making a test-tube baby is a test of human endurance -- especially for the would-be mother. To start the process of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), she must submit to a two-week regimen of daily drug injections. They prepare her ovaries and cause perhaps half a dozen eggs to mature simultaneously, but the shots can also produce pain, bloating and sharp mood swings. Every day she undergoes tedious blood tests and ultrasound examinations: the doctors need to monitor the ovaries closely and remove the eggs at just the right time so they can be fertilized in the lab and then returned to the...

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