IVF vs. Test Tube Baby: Key Differences Explained

There is no difference between IVF and test tube baby. The term test tube baby is a non-medical term used decades ago while referring to IVF or In-Vitro Fertilisation. The term test tube baby came into being because of the general idea that an embryo is formed in a test tube instead of the woman’s fallopian tube. In fact, the egg and the sperm are fertilised in a petri dish and hence, in-vitro, meaning within the glass culture dish as opposed to in-vivo, which means inside the living body.

There are many test tube baby centres in India which send out a wrong message to people who do not know the difference between IVF and test tube baby. Before IVF was acceptable in India, the term test tube baby created a commotion within the population. Some people even thought that the baby was grown entirely in a test tube! Even today, there is a social stigma attached to this term, however it’s gradually fading away. The birth of Durga, the first reported test tube baby in India and the second in the world, was criticised until the early 2000s.

It is important to know, whether you call the baby a test tube baby or an IVF baby, he/she is human and as natural as any other baby in all its form. An embryo formed through IVF procedure is transferred into the mother’s womb and the pregnancy is continued with the usual care. IVF treatment is becoming more and more popular among Indians today because of the rising incidence of infertility or the inability to conceive naturally. World Health comanization has declared infertility as a disease that requires medical intervention.