Author Description

As a capstone of the commemorations of the 40th anniversary of the birth of the first baby conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF), in 1978, this collection gathers the principal actors of the history of IVF, and summarizes the main achievements, current state, and future prospects of this technique. The contributions here cover, in a historical perspective, all major aspects of IVF, including its indications and techniques, the basic concepts of ovarian stimulation, the cryopreservation of embryos and oocytes, oocyte in vitro maturation, and technical aspects of oocyte retrieval and embryo transfer, among many other topics. The volume not only provides topical information to health professionals, but is written in such a way that it is understandable to the lay public who may read it as a passionate story of the evolution of techniques intimately related to the origin of human life.