Definition:
A fertility treatment in which eggs are removed from the woman's body and fertilized with her partner's sperm in the lab. The resulting embryos are then returned to her uterus in the hopes of fostering a pregnancy.
Some practitioners use IVF combined with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis as a treatment for recurrent miscarriages due to chromosomal abnormalities such as balanced translocations, but the practice is controversial. IVF is also used for mothers who wish to use donor eggs because of ovarian failure or repeated pregnancy losses.
IVF is an expensive and invasive procedure and may carry a greater risk of miscarriage in the resulting pregnancy. There is also a higher risk of multiple gestation with IVF.
Also Known As: Test-tube fertilization
