A STUDY ON THE LIVES OF DR. PATRICK STEPTOE AND PROFESSOR ROBERT EDWARDS, THE INITIATORS OF IVF, AND THE NEW GLOBAL TRENDS IN IVF
ABSTRACT
Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards’ are the two reasons why IVF exists today. Both were impacted by early influences that contributed to their developing of the human IVF procedure. Edwards’ early interest in developmental genetics was the driving force behind his goal of achieving IVF in humans, while Steptoe’s interest in treating infertility and his laparoscopic skills rapidly took him closer to his greatest medical breakthrough. The aim of this study was to describe the lives of Steptoe and Edwards, to determine the morality (ethics and scientific conduct) of the technique of in vitro fertilization as discovered by Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards and to describe the new global trends in IVF. The data used in this study were collected through Textual analysis and visual analysis (from books and videos), Document analysis, Newspaper reports, published website articles from trusted websites, Existing data from research journals, Correspondence with Dr. Kay Elder, someone who once worked with the participants. Edwards and Steptoe conducted various quantitative researches in their lab using mice, rabbit, and human eggs to develop the IVF technique. Edwards’ interest, as a graduate student, in the genetics of early mammalian development led him to investigate whether events that occurred during egg maturation could explain the origins of human genetic diseases including Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, and Turner syndromes. This clinical research was instrumental in achieving in vitro fertilization and oocyte maturation in humans. Edwards met with Patrick Steptoe in 1968. Steptoe had a major impact on Edwards. First, Edwards’ long-term interest in infertility expanded the possibilities of using IVF, which helped him. Secondly, Edwards was offered a long-term collaboration by Steptoe, in which oocyte selection was demonstrated to be possible without in-vitro maturation. Following that, during his partnership with Edwards, Steptoe collected ova from infertile women who saw his hospital as their last chance for pregnancy, using laparoscopy, and Edwards and Jean Purdy provided laboratory expertise. The religious and professional criticism that arose as a result of Steptoe and Edwards’ partnership prompted Edwards to pursue a public education campaign addressing the concerns posed, as well as to question and improve professional bioethical thinking and dialogue regarding reproduction. In conclusion, this collaboration between Edwards and Steptoe led to the Birth of the First test-tube baby, Louise Brown, in 1978 and the birth of IVF as we know today.
Keywords: Edwards, Steptoe, IVF, Genetics, Infertility, Laparoscopy, Global, History.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Infertility is described as the failure to conceive a child within a year of attempting to conceive. It’s likely that one partner won’t be able to assist with childbirth, or that a woman won’t be able to bring a pregnancy to term. Advancing maternal age, uterine fibroids, tubal blockage, ovulation disorders, endometrial polyps, male factor infertility (male factors influencing sperm function), endometriosis, unknown, and other factors may all contribute to infertility (Brazier & Wilson, 2018).
1.1 Background of Study
Patrick Christopher Steptoe (9 June 1913- 21 March 1988) was a British Gynaecologist. He handled many advances in reproductive technology and gynaecology. He also promoted laparoscopy (Danielson, 2009). Robert Geoffrey Edwards (27 September 1925- 10 April 2013) was an English Physiologist and scientist. He was a pioneer in reproductive medicine (Phil Brick, 2011). The collaboration between Steptoe and Edwards led to the discovery of a technique known as In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) which led to the birth of Louise Brown, the first ‘test-tube baby’. This took place in Oldham, near Manchester, on 25th July 1978. The parents of Louise Brown, Lesley, and John Brown, were also main protagonists in the discovery of the IVF procedure as they represented British science and other infertile couples, respectively (Vaughn, 2012).
Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards first showed in 1968 that it is possible to produce a test-tube baby in Louis Brown. This marked the beginning of smiles on the faces of couples who could not produce their babies (Johnson, 2011).
Before now couples who found it difficult to produce their babies had nowhere to turn to other than to turn to orphanages to adopt children by other couples. The causes of these inabilities to reproduce their offspring may have been because of the reproductive systems in the woman in the couple or the man. Research had been carried out to determine these causes such as fallopian tube blockage or low sperm count in the male. Although attempts were made to satisfy these couples, it was never a hundred percent satisfaction with the couples. Meanwhile, Patrick Steptoe trained as a gynaecologist developed the technique of artificial reproductive technology. He was born in 1913. His colleague Robert Edwards, who trained as a physiologist, was born in 1925. Both Steptoe and Edwards developed the method of harvesting mature ovum from the woman and fertilising it in the test tube with sperm from the male partner. The product of this fertilisation undergoes certain processes before they return the fertilised ovum to the uterus of the female partner. This process is known as in vitro fertilisation (IVF). This technique resulted in the first (test-tube baby) in 1978. The consequences of this act were negative and positive. Negative in the sense that the medical profession regarded Steptoe and Edwards as producing babies by unethical methods, thus they were playing God (Johnson & Martin, 2011). The positive aspect is the happiness and appreciation in couples who now see a chance in which cases of infertility could be resolved by producing children of their own.
There have been various articles published regarding Edwards, Steptoe, and their discovery of the IVF procedure. Edwards has a biography titled “Let There Be Life”. As for Steptoe, there has been no ‘official’ biography of him published. The only records he has are what we can find in his Obituary and various other reviews that have been written about his history (Elder, 2020). This is regarded as a gap or a missing link that needs to be addressed. A well-detailed biography of the lives of both Edwards and Steptoe is very necessary.
The significance of addressing the gaps in the study is to enlighten the public on how the procedure they all so well know was discovered and the lives of its creators till and after the discovery of this procedure.
The rationale and my hypothesis behind this are that it will enlighten people on the IVF procedure, make people appreciate the procedure even more and it can also serve as an inspiration to fellow scientists hoping to make a breakthrough in different aspects as regards to science and medicine. To make this possible, I need to know the lives of both Steptoe and Edwards and their IVF journey. My research has incorporated reading various articles as it relates to them and also getting assistance from people who have worked closely with them to get accurate information.
1.2 Justification of Study
During my course of writing this study, I discovered that as there are various information about Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards spread across the web, no website, journal, article, etc. contains the description and study of the lives of both Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe together with their methods and interpretations to the fullest.
This study breaks that boundary as it contains the description of the lives of both Steptoe and Edwards, their venture into IVF and their methods and interpretations leading to the birth of the first ‘test-tube baby’ Louise Brown.
1.3 Aim and Objectives
To determine the morality (ethics and scientific conduct) of the technique of in vitro fertilization as discovered by Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards.
The objectives are:
- To investigate the consequences of the act of IVF amongst the medical profession.
- To investigate the moral judgement of the discovery of IVF among their medical colleague
- To investigate the reaction of the non-medical populace within and outside their environment
- To investigate the universality of acceptance of their scientific conduct
1.4 Significance of Study
The significance of this study is to inspire. Inspiration in the sense that as a reader reads through the life story of a successful person and how they made their success, it can motivate, encourage or influence the reader to make the same efforts to make his/her dreams come true. As the reader reads through and learns of the challenges the historical figure faced and overcame during accomplishing his/her dreams, the reader can relate the challenges to their present struggles and get inspired to keep pushing just like the contemporary figure did until their goal is eventually realised. The reader can gain a lot of insight and therefore be inspired.
This study is also important, as it can teach life lessons. In achieving a goal, certain life skills are needed. By reading this review, the reader can learn essential life skills such as; how to deal with failure, how to listen and learn from others, how to be helpful, kind, and considerate to others, how to persevere despite criticisms, how to be independent, how to take responsibility for your choices and actions, how to be open-minded and recognise other viewpoints. All these can be learned from reading this review.
1.5 Scope of Study
This review aims to cover both the private and public lives of Edwards and Steptoe (Life before and after fame). It will include their birth dates, places, where they grew up, schooled, worked, how their career interests led to both of them meeting and events and experiments that led to their discovery of the IVF procedure and that led to the birth of the first ‘test-tube baby’ Louise Joy Brown in 1978. It will also cover the books they wrote, the Nobel prize they won, the criticisms they faced after the birth of Louise Brown, their lives after the discovery of the procedure, the clinic they built, and finally their death, cause of death, and death dates.
The Limitations of this study are;
Issues of access to information- During writing this review, I wasn’t able to go through all the articles and data that are out there as it will take a lot of time and so, therefore, this work might not cover all the aspects I would have wished it did.
Data collection- The way the data collection to make this review was done can serve as a limitation because, as the main protagonists of this review are dead, an interview could not be conducted to get accurate information directly from them. The resources gathered were from the internet where not everything is accurate and therefore had to be screened carefully before using them to ensure the information used was accurate and this can also prove to be timeconsuming.
1.6 Definition of Key Significant Terms
In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF): In vitro fertilisation is a widely used type of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) that involves combining an egg with a sperm outside the body, in vitro. The IVF procedure involves monitoring and stimulating a woman’s ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova from the woman’s ovaries, and letting sperm fertilise them in a fluid medium (nutrient fluid) in a laboratory.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to help with fertility or prevent genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child.
During IVF, mature eggs are retrieved from ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. Then the fertilized egg (embryo) or eggs (embryos) are transferred to a uterus. One full cycle of IVF takes about three weeks. Sometimes these steps are split into different parts and the process can take longer.
Laparoscopy: Laparoscopy, also known as diagnostic laparoscopy, is a surgical diagnostic procedure used to examine the organs inside the abdomen in real-time without open surgery. It’s a minimally invasive procedure that requires only small incisions (Giorgi & Gonzalez, 2018).
Laparoscopy uses an instrument known as a laparoscope (A long, thin tube with a highintensity light and a high-resolution camera at the front) to look at the abdominal organs. The instrument is inserted through an incision in the abdominal wall. As it moves along, the camera sends images to a video monitor. Some reasons for diagnostic laparoscopy are a history of pelvic infection, unexplained pelvic pain, or unexplained infertility (Giorgi & Gonzalez, 2018).
A STUDY ON THE LIVES OF DR. PATRICK STEPTOE AND PROFESSOR ROBERT EDWARDS, THE INITIATORS OF IVF, AND THE NEW GLOBAL TRENDS IN IVF