Australia’s first IVF baby and the third in the world was Candice Reed

Born June 1980 at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne.

Over the past four decades, Australia has been at the forefront of global advances in assisted reproductive technologies or ART bringing immense joy into the lives of so many families.

IVF is back in the news today but for the wrong reason, 2 embryo mix-ups occurred involving Monash IVF.

Human errors occurred at two of their IVF facilities.

IVF is a common method of assisted reproduction in Australia, with one in 16 babies born through this procedure.

In Australia, RTAC Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee. is an independent body within the Fertility Society of Australia that

sets and enforces standards for assisted reproductive technology (ART) practices, including IVF. They issue licenses to ART clinics and ensure they meet minimum quality requirements. RTAC also develops and maintains the International Version of the Code of Practice for ART, which is used by certifying bodies in other countries.

In 2021, a record number of 18,594 babies were born in Australia because of IVF treatment. One in three women successfully have a baby in their first IVF cycle, a new report by UNSW Sydney medical researchers shows.

I invited Sydney fertility expert Dr Rebecca Deans from the university of NSW to the studio today to give us some insight into IVF.

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