# Canonical recap data for First Test-Tube Baby Born (1978)
# Source: https://recap.at/1978/first-test-tube-baby
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: first-test-tube-baby
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1978/first-test-tube-baby"
title: First Test-Tube Baby Born
aliases:
- Louise Brown birth
- First IVF baby
- Test-tube baby
- In vitro fertilization breakthrough
subtitle: Louise Brown's birth through IVF marked a breakthrough in reproductive medicine and opened possibilities for millions of infertile couples worldwide.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1978-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1978
decade: 1970
country:
name: United Kingdom
slug: united-kingdom
summaryShort: First Test is a fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, the first book in the series Protector of the Small. It details the first year of Keladry of Mindelan's training as a page of Tortall.
summaryLong: First Test is a fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, the first book in the series Protector of the Small. It details the first year of Keladry of Mindelan's training as a page of Tortall.
lede: On July 25, 1978, Louise Brown was born in Oldham, England—the first human conceived through in vitro fertilization. Her birth proved that fertilization could happen outside the body, fundamentally changing what was medically possible for infertile couples and opening a path that would eventually lead to millions of IVF babies worldwide.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e1/First_Test.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "First Test"
importance: 85
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Date of birth
  value: July 25, 1978
- label: Location
  value: Oldham General Hospital, Greater Manchester, England
- label: Patient's age
  value: 29 years old (Lesley Brown, mother)
- label: Lead researcher
  value: Robert Edwards (physiologist) and Patrick Steptoe (gynecologist)
- label: Egg retrieval method
  value: Laparoscopy
- label: Birth weight
  value: 5 pounds 12 ounces (2.6 kg)
- label: Years of research prior
  value: 10+ years (Edwards began IVF work in 1966)
timeline:
- date: 1966-01-01
  title: Edwards begins IVF research
  description: Robert Edwards starts systematic work on in vitro fertilization at Cambridge, initially using rabbit embryos.
- date: 1969-01-01
  title: First human embryo created in vitro
  description: Edwards and Steptoe achieve fertilization of a human egg outside the body, though the embryo does not develop to implantation stage.
- date: 1977-01-01
  title: Lesley Brown selected as IVF candidate
  description: Lesley Brown, 28, is chosen for the IVF procedure after conventional fertility treatments fail; her husband John is identified as having low sperm count.
- date: 1977-11-10
  title: Egg retrieval procedure
  description: Steptoe performs laparoscopic retrieval of an egg from Lesley Brown's ovary using a technique he developed.
- date: 1977-11-12
  title: Fertilization and embryo transfer
  description: The retrieved egg is fertilized with John Brown's sperm in vitro and the resulting embryo is transferred to Lesley Brown's uterus.
- date: 1978-01-30
  title: Pregnancy confirmed
  description: Tests confirm Lesley Brown is pregnant; the news is kept confidential to avoid media intrusion.
- date: 1978-07-25
  title: Louise Brown born
  description: "Louise Joy Brown is delivered by cesarean section at 11:47 PM. She weighs 5 pounds 12 ounces and is declared healthy by attending physicians."
- date: 1978-07-26
  title: Birth announced to world media
  description: News of the first test-tube baby breaks globally; media presence at hospital swells to hundreds of journalists.
- date: 1980-01-01
  title: Second IVF baby born
  description: Gillan Brown, sister of Louise, is born through the same procedure, demonstrating repeatability.
- date: 2010-10-05
  title: Nobel Prize awarded to Edwards
  description: Robert Edwards receives the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his development of IVF; Steptoe had died in 1988.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Test"
  title: First Test
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The birth of Louise Brown validated IVF as a viable medical procedure and removed a major psychological barrier—if it could be done once, it could be done again. What seemed like science fiction in the 1970s became routine medical practice, fundamentally reshaping reproductive medicine and fertility treatment for decades to come.
categories:
- tech-launch
metaDescription: Louise Brown, first test-tube baby, born July 25, 1978. IVF breakthrough that changed reproductive medicine forever.
wikidataQid: Q5453880
taxonomy:
domain: scientific
eventTypes:
- clinical_breakthrough
- medical_emergency
canonicalClasses:
- discovery
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
peoplesVoice:
- source: Patrick Steptoe, IVF pioneer and consultant
  voiceType: developer
  context: Steptoe spoke to the press hours after Louise Brown's birth, expressing vindication of decades of research effort.
  excerpt: It is the culmination of years of research. We have a normal, healthy child. The patient and her husband are delighted.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 90
  attribution: BBC News, 1978-07-25
  publishedAt: 1978-07-25
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Cardinal Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II)
  voiceType: skeptic
  context: The Vatican issued immediate theological concerns about the technique's moral and ethical implications.
  excerpt: We must consider the moral implications of such procedures and ensure they respect the dignity of human procreation.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 85
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Vatican statements and papal commentary, 1978
  publishedAt: 1978-07-26
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Robert Edwards, IVF researcher and Nobel laureate
  voiceType: expert
  context: Edwards, whose decades of work made the breakthrough possible, reflected on the scientific achievement and future implications.
  excerpt: This opens the door to helping many infertile couples. But we must proceed with caution and wisdom as we explore further.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 88
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Scientific correspondence and interviews, July 1978
  publishedAt: 1978-07-25
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Margaret Thatcher, UK Prime Minister
  voiceType: official
  context: Thatcher publicly endorsed the achievement as a triumph for British science and medicine on the world stage.
  excerpt: It is a remarkable medical achievement. It will bring great joy to many infertile couples and reflects well on British science.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 82
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Prime Minister's office statement, July 1978
  publishedAt: 1978-07-26
  originalLanguage: en
- source: James Watson, DNA co-discoverer and commentator
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Watson offered measured perspective on the scientific milestone and cautioned against overreaching ethical concerns.
  excerpt: This is a major advance in reproductive medicine. The fears some express are largely unfounded; science moves forward.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Scientific and media interviews, Summer 1978
  publishedAt: 1978-08-02
  originalLanguage: en
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20251204100249/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Test"
  capturedAt: 2025-12-04
  label: First Test
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Test"
