in vitro fertilization

the process of fertilizing an OVUM outside the body. The technique is used when a woman has blocked FALLOPIAN TUBES or when there is some other reason for sperm and ovum not uniting. The woman produces several ova (because of hormone therapy treatment), which are removed by laparoscopy (see LAPAROSCOPE ), and these are mixed with sperm and incubated in culture medium until they are fertilized. At the blastocyst stage some are implanted in the mother's UTERUS . The first successful live birth using this technique was in 1978, when the phrase 'test-tube baby' was coined.