The Birth of IVF: A Tale of Two Pioneering Births That Changed Reproductive Medicine Forever

In 1978, the field of reproductive medicine crossed a threshold that once seemed unreachable: a human life conceived outside the body, in a laboratory petri dish. This moment, often celebrated as the dawn of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), would go on to transform fertility treatment for millions. But while the world widely acknowledges the first successful IVF birth in the United Kingdom, a parallel story unfolded in India—one of brilliance, resistance, and ultimately, tragedy.

Louise Brown: The First IVF Baby

On July 25, 1978, in Oldham General Hospital, UK, Louise Joy Brown was born—the first child conceived via IVF. Her parents, Lesley and John Brown, had struggled with infertility for nine years before placing their hopes in an experimental procedure developed by a trio of medical pioneers: Dr. Patrick Steptoe (gynecologist), Dr. Robert Edwards (physiologist), and Jean Purdy (lab technician, nurse and embryologist).

The procedure involved extracting eggs from Lesley, fertilizing them with John’s sperm outside the body, allowing the embryo to develop for a few days in a Petri dish, and then transferring it into the uterus—a process now considered standard, but then revolutionary.

Their work was initially met with skepticism and moral outrage. The media sensationalized it as “playing God,” while many in the scientific community refused to recognize the contribution of Jean Purdy, who logged, tracked, and maintained the embryo cultures. Despite overwhelming odds, the team succeeded—and Louise’s healthy birth proved that assisted conception was not only possible but safe and viable.

The British team would later receive accolades, with Robert Edwards awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2010. Jean Purdy, who passed away at just 39, was only posthumously recognized in 2015. Robert Edwards passed away in 2013 while Patrick Steptoe passed away in 1988.

Durga: India’s Unrecognized Milestone

Just 67 days later, in Kolkata, India, another miracle occurred. On October 3, 1978, a baby girl named Durga (Kanupriya Agarwal) was born through IVF. She was the brainchild of Dr. Subhas Mukhopadhyay, a physiologist and reproductive endocrinologist working with limited funding and rudimentary infrastructure in then-socialist India.

Dr. Mukhopadhyay achieved the impossible using indigenous methods—he constructed his own cryopreservation unit for embryos, developed hormone stimulation protocols, and even fabricated an air-free environment chamber—all without the support of a formal laboratory setup. His collaborator, Dr. Sunit Mukherjee, a gynecologist, assisted in the clinical side of the case.

However, unlike Steptoe and Edwards, Dr. Mukhopadhyay was denied recognition. The Indian government and scientific establishment dismissed his achievement without proper peer review. A bureaucratic committee even mocked his claims, despite photographic, clinical, and procedural evidence.

This blatant disregard devastated Dr. Mukhopadhyay. Isolated, humiliated, and professionally sidelined, he took his own life in June 1981. His contributions were only recognized posthumously. In 2002, the Indian Council of Medical Research officially credited him as the creator of India’s first test tube baby, long after his death.

Alastair MacDonald: The First IVF Baby Boy

Just months later, on January 14, 1979, Alastair MacDonald became the first male IVF baby. Also born in the UK, Alastair’s birth further validated the success of the IVF technique and quelled any lingering doubts that Louise Brown’s birth was a one-time anomaly.

His parents, Grace and John MacDonald, had also struggled with infertility and agreed to the experimental treatment. Alastair’s birth proved that IVF was not just repeatable, but scalable.

Today, Alastair MacDonald is a healthy adult and a father himself—demonstrating that IVF-conceived children can go on to live normal, fertile lives.

Scientific Legacy of IVF

The science behind IVF is now well-established:

1. Ovarian stimulation triggers the development of multiple eggs.

2. Egg retrieval is performed via minor surgery.

3. Sperm preparation involves processing the semen sample to isolate the healthiest, most motile sperm.

4. Fertilization  occurs in vitro, where the prepared sperm is combined with the retrieved eggs in a controlled lab environment.

5. Embryo culture allows for monitoring and selection of healthiest embryos.

6. Embryo transfer completes the cycle, placing the embryo into the uterus for implantation and potential pregnancy.

   
   

Since 1978, over 8 million babies have been born through IVF globally, offering hope to families struggling with infertility, LGBTQ+ couples, cancer survivors, and single parents.. The technology has evolved to include ICSI, genetic screening (PGT), egg and sperm freezing, and gestational surrogacy.

Yet the technology is built on the emotional, scientific, and social struggles of pioneers who dared to challenge orthodoxy. The heart of this innovation lies a painful reminder: scientific breakthroughs are not always met with applause. Sometimes, they are silenced by institutions, misunderstood by peers, or buried by politics.

Remembering the True Architects

While the name Louise Brown is etched into history books, Durga is only now getting the recognition she and her creator deserve. Dr. Subhas Mukhopadhyay’s work is a case study in scientific resilience—of pushing the boundaries of knowledge in a hostile environment and paying the ultimate price for it.

Their Stories on Film

If you want to understand the human side of this medical breakthrough:

🎥 Watch Netflix’s 2024 film Joy: The Birth of IVF : This 2024 dramatized yet deeply accurate film tells the story of the groundbreaking UK IVF team—Dr. Patrick Steptoe, Dr. Robert Edwards, and Jean Purdy—who brought the world's first test tube baby, Louise Brown, into existence. The film especially highlights the vital but long-overlooked role of Jean Purdy, the embryologist whose meticulous lab work was critical to the success of IVF. Their journey, however, was far from celebratory. The trio faced severe criticism from the media and even from renowned scientists like Nobel laureates James Watson, who accused them of “playing God” and raised alarmist fears that IVF children would be abnormal. Their research was repeatedly denied funding due to ethical opposition and public hysteria. Joy captures not only the scientific triumph but also the relentless moral and institutional resistance the team endured to bring hope to millions.

🎞️ Explore the film Ek Doctor Ki Maut (1990) on YouTube: This award-winning Hindi film, directed by Tapan Sinha, is a fictionalized yet true-to-spirit portrayal inspired by the life of Dr. Subhas Mukhopadhyay. In the film, the protagonist—played powerfully by Pankaj Kapur—develops a breakthrough cure for leprosy (used symbolically in place of IVF) and faces humiliation, resistance, and bureaucratic sabotage instead of recognition. Though the disease differs, the core of the story mirrors Dr. Mukhopadhyay’s real-life struggle against institutional arrogance and political apathy. The film remains a haunting reminder of how scientific innovation can be crushed under the weight of prejudice and red tape.

Conclusion

The story of IVF is not just one of biology—it is one of humanity, perseverance, and the uneven path to recognition. As we celebrate the miracles of assisted reproduction today, let us remember both Joy and Despair that paved its way—from Louise in the UK to Durga in India.

The birth of IVF is a tale of visionaries, vindication, and voicelessness. While the world celebrated Louise Brown, it took decades for Durga and Dr. Mukhopadhyay to receive their due. As we marvel at today’s fertility technology, let’s never forget those who made it possible—at great personal cost. Their legacy is not just scientific. It is deeply human.

Let their stories remind us that progress isn’t always rewarded—but it must always be remembered.

References

• “Louise Brown: World’s First Test Tube Baby” – Nature (1978)

• “Jean Purdy: The Forgotten IVF Pioneer” – British Fertility Society Archives

• Mukherjee, Sunit. A Doctor's Story of India's First Test Tube Baby, Kolkata Medical Journal, 2002

• Sharma, Dinesh C. "India’s First IVF Baby Turns 40." BMJ, 2018

• “Dr. Subhas Mukhopadhyay: A Forgotten Pioneer,” The Telegraph India, 2010

• Nobel Prize Archive: Robert G. Edwards, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 2010

• Cherukuri AMK, Pendurthi G, Chanda CR. Dr. Subhas Mukhopadhyay (1931-1981): A Pioneer in the Field of Reproductive Medicine. Cureus. 2024 Sep 4;16(9):e68608.