![Cover image for Baby-making in the new millennium : [what the new reproductive treatments mean for families and society] / Bart Fauser and Paul Devroey with Simon Brown.](/client/assets/5.1326/ctx//client/images/no_image.png "Cover image for Baby-making in the new millennium : [what the new reproductive treatments mean for families and society] / Bart Fauser and Paul Devroey with Simon Brown.")
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Summary
Summary
In the developing world, the choices available to couples for fertility treatments in the 21st century are wider than ever before. This is a time when most types of infertility can be treated by modern 'test-tube' methods, yet reproduction itself has become inextricably bound with social and political trends - declining birth rates, delayed first pregnancy, childbirth beyond the age of 40, the state funding of infertility treatment - fertility treatment is a hottopic, high on the agenda of politicians in their efforts to reverse declining national fertility rates.The range of new technologies is expansive, from embryo selection by genetic analysis to egg donation in the over-forties and cryopreservation. Today, the 'assistance' of conception with treatments such as IVF reflects a life-choice whose context is immediately social, cultural, personal, and political.Arguing that these new technologies allow the 'design' of babies in a way which is far beyond the spontaneity of nature, Bart Fauser and Paul Devroey describe the new treatments, consider what they can do, and look at how far they have come in shaping our everyday lives. Considering the wider implications of fertility treatment, they also look at the issues it raises, and evaluate how far treatments can, and should, go.
Author Notes
Professor Bart Fauser is Chair of the Departments of Reproduction and Gynecology, Obstretrics, Neonatology, and PsychoNeuroImmunology at the University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. As a reprodutive endocrinologist, he is the author of around 350 chapters of textbooks and scientific papers. From 2000 to 2006 he was Editor-in-Chief of the world's leading Obstetrics and Gynaecological journal (published by OUP), Human Reproduction Update.Professor Paul Devroey is Clinical Director of the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at the Dutch-speaking Free University of Brussels. He is the author of three books and almost 400 scientific papers. He is an associate editor of several medical journals and from 2005 to 2007 was Chairman of ESHRE (the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology). It was Devroey's group in Brussels which pioneered the first male infertility treatment of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), now theworld's most widely used IVF technique.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Doctors and professors of reproductive medicine Fauser and Devroey relay their knowledge of this field's many advances since the first live in-vitro fertilization birth in 1978. Although assisted fertility and genetic testing are critiqued as "baby designing," the actual purpose of these techniques is "to overcome the sometimes tragic consequences of postponed childbearing or defective genes and to repair the breakdown of reproductive biology." With reasoned, rational discussion, the authors review the technology, ethical dilemmas, and statistical results of many current practices, providing data from around the world. Looking to the future, they address controversial topics including cloning, pregnancy in older women, and posthumous reproduction. With sympathy for patients who undergo fertility treatment, the authors discuss techniques and outcomes in fascinating detail, informing both practitioners and patients. A glossary, abbreviation reference key, and numerous visual aids contribute to a valuable resource for those with a personal or professional interest in assisted fertility. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
In this eloquently written guide, two top European fertility doctors review the history of assisted reproduction, outline current in vitro fertilization options, and discuss such controversial issues as freezing eggs and hiring surrogate mothers. Along the way, they provide much food for thought. Is sex now more recreation than procreation? The pill made the former possible, while IVF enables procreation without any recreation. Fauser and Devroey present lots of interesting statistics. For example, they observe that humans are inefficient breeders, since even a healthy couple has no more than a one-in-four chance of conception in a single cycle of unprotected intercourse. Occasionally, the doctors use lingo that's too technical, and the otherwise useful glossary doesn't always help. Also, they work in the Netherlands and Brussels, so the book's information on the availability of IVF relates to Europe, and the prices for procedures are given in euros. Even so, with conversion calculations and further reading, it becomes clear how much less fertility treatments cost in countries that provide more generously for health care.--Springen, Karen Copyright 2010 Booklist
Choice Review
With the availability of increasingly sophisticated reproduction technologies, people now have options that impact core ethical principles. In this concise, well-written work, reproductive medicine specialists Fauser (Univ. Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands) and Devroey (Free Univ. of Brussels) detail the implications of these advances. As the birth rate falls below the death rate for most Western nations, couples are reaching for a way to have a healthy baby when circumstances would have forced them to remain childless or have a less than healthy baby. The authors show how in vitro fertilization (IVF) has become perfected for improving the chances for healthy babies and stimulated the development of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which is replacing IVF as the treatment of choice for infertility. The entire science of "baby-making" is now at a crossroads that begs the answers to social and cultural choices. The authors have taken a step toward giving the context for framing those questions. As science heads toward treatments that increase a couple's safety and improve the genetic outcome of the newborn, societies must take a focused look at the results. A valuable resource for a wide audience, especially those who are contemplating assisted fertilization. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic, professional, and general readers, all levels. R. G. McGee Jr. formerly, Walters State Community College
Library Journal Review
According to this book, "Around one in six couples will have difficulty conceiving at some point in their reproductive lives." Fauser (chair, dept. of reproduction & gynecology, Univ. Medical Ctr., Utrecht, Netherlands) and Devroey (clinical director, Ctr. for Reproductive Medicine, Free Univ. of Brussels) take on the issues that surround fertility treatments, including so-called designer babies, the safety of treatment for mother and baby, the "infertility epidemic," and the role of infertility treatments in socialized medicine. The book opens up discussion on aspects of fertility that many people may not have thought about before. Where does in vitro fertilization (IVF) fit in with pro-family government policies? When should IVF treatments be withheld? Is it ethical to deny treatment because of body mass index, smoking, or excessive drinking? Above all, are doctors using the safest methods possible when administering fertility treatments? Fauser and Devroey make clear that they believe infertility is a condition that causes much mental and emotional distress and that it should be treated no differently (even in countries with state-supported health-care systems) from other medical conditions. VERDICT A fascinating and passionate look at fertility around the world from a doctor's-eye view.-Mindy Rhiger, Mackin Library Media, Minneapolis (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.