On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown became the first baby in the world to be born through in vitro fertilization.
Known as the first “test-tube baby" — although the IVF process actually takes place on a petri dish — her birth was made possible thanks to the cutting-edge research of three British scientists: Dr. Robert Edwards, Dr. Patrick Steptoe and Jean Purdy. At the time, the trio had been working together for a decade on IVF, a procedure where the sperm and egg are combined outside of the body and the resulting embryo is then implanted in the uterus.
Though Dr. Edwards, Dr. Steptoe and Purdy had been able to create viable embryos, they had yet to achieve a successful pregnancy — that is, until Louise’s revolutionary birth in 1978.
Since then, more than 12 million babies have been born as a result of IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies. The procedure has helped millions of people struggling with infertility and has made parenthood possible for same-sex couples and single individuals.
Now, a new Netflix film, Joy, pays tribute to the people who pioneered IVF and made Louise’s birth — and millions of others — possible. The fictionalized retelling, which stars Bill Nighy, James Norton and Thomasin McKenzie, began streaming on Netflix on Nov. 22.
Here’s everything to know about the first IVF baby, Louise Joy Brown, and where she is now.
Who is Louise Joy Brown? Louise Joy Brown became known as the world’s first “test-tube baby” when she was born via in vitro fertilization on July 25, 1978, in England.
Her parents, Lesley and John Brown, had struggled with infertility for nine years, according to The New York Times. Tests revealed that Lesley’s fallopian tubes were blocked, making her unable to conceive a child on her own. However, a doctor at a local health clinic informed Lesley about Dr. Patrick Steptoe, who was developing a treatment for women with blocked tubes. Though the experimental procedure offered just a “one in a million” chance of success, Lesley turned to Dr. Steptoe for help, according to the website of the world’s first IVF clinic, Bourn Hall.
With the help of Dr. Steptoe, Dr. Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy, Lesley became pregnant through in vitro fertilization in December 1977, according to the BBC. In July 1978, healthy baby Louise was born by cesarean section at Oldham General Hospital in England — making her the first baby conceived by in vitro fertilization to ever be born.
Not only did Dr. Steptoe and Dr. Edwards make Louise’s birth possible, they also played a part in naming her. The two suggested a middle name that would pay homage to the influence Louise’s birth would have for generations to come.
“Doctors gave me the middle name of ‘Joy’ because they said my birth could bring joy to many people,” Louise recounted to PEOPLE in 2017. “I want to live up to that name.”
Louise’s parents would go on to have a second child via IVF: their daughter, Natalie, was born in 1982 and became the 40th child in the world to be born thanks to in vitro fertilization.
What was the public reaction to Louise Joy Brown’s birth?
