Abstract
The book, Baby-Making: What the New Reproductive Treatments Mean for Families and Society, challenges our thinking about conception. With the birth of Louise Brown in 1978, the first successful birth following in vitro fertilization (IVF), the very idea of baby making was changed forever. IVF is the process of stimulating the ovaries with fertility drugs to produce eggs. The eggs are then fertilized by sperm in a laboratory environment and the healthiest embryos are then transferred into the uterus. Another popular fertility procedure presented in this book is intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). In this procedure, the best-looking sperm cells are selected for fertilization. Approximately 1.5 million cycles of IVF and ICSI are performed each year with a global total of 5 million children having been conceived by IVF. Other fertility treatment options available to couples today include techniques such as egg donation, fertility preservation, single-embryo transfer, and reproductive surgery.
The authors are medical experts in the field of reproductive endocrinology, providing the reader with a glimpse into the medical issues surrounding many of these fertility treatments. The authors do a terrific job in presenting the medical information in a way that is readable to the layperson. A unique aspect of this book is that the authors provide a step-by-step process of IVF, while examining concerns associated with IVF including the increase of multiple pregnancies and resulting births with IVF, guidelines and regulations of treatment, and health factors that impact the success of IVF (e.g., obesity and smoking). Specific book chapters include (a) “How to design a baby”; (b) “What couples want and how we deal with it”; (c) “The infertility epidemic”; (d) “The right treatment for the right patient”; (e) “In search of the embryo guaranteed to implant”; (f) “Infertility treatments for fertile people”; (g) “Who pays? The social implications”; and (h) “How far can we go?”
The book begins with discussing how human beings are not efficient breeders, despite the high global population rate. The authors also explore how reproduction is bound to social and political trends, including the current trend to have children beyond age 40. In particular, those women who live in developed societies tend to have fewer children and may delay first pregnancies, resulting in fertility issues. The authors then discuss options for fertile individuals who pose health risks (e.g., cystic fibrosis) or who cannot have a baby on their own (e.g., single women and lesbian couples).
Finally, the book examines the larger implications of baby making in today’s society, including who will pay for testing and treatment. In the United States, IVF is handled through the private sector; however, some insurance companies may pay for part, if not all of the IVF procedure. Additionally, in the United States, there is little to no government or state regulation, with some medical providers going against the American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines to only transfer one blastocyst or two embryos to women under the age of 35. This practice has led to high rates of success of IVF but also to high rates of multiple pregnancies, which can be a health risk to the mother and the children. Simply put, American patients may be getting what they want from fertility treatment even if the treatment is against medical best practice. In addition, the book discusses the moral implications of fertility treatment, an emotionally charged subject for many individuals.
The reviewer’s overall impression of Baby-Making: What the New Reproductive Treatments Mean for Families and Society was positive. As mentioned previously, the book was easy to read, with medical information presented in simple terms. In addition, the authors presented some thought-provoking ideas about baby making; while asserting that “designer babies” are not the goal of fertility treatment. Rather, all families are provided with the possibility of having a child in a safe and ethical manner.
In the field of marriage and family counseling, this book is especially poignant. While medical advances are constantly changing the field of fertility treatment, this book can be a useful resource for counselors working with families struggling with fertility issues. In addition, the authors emphasize the health of those individuals seeking fertility treatment options, including risk factors, such as obesity and smoking. Counselors are in a unique position to help clients focus on their own wellness, which may help the overall success of fertility treatment. Finally, the book helps to increase the reader’s level of understanding and empathy for those who may need assistance in obtaining their dream of having a child.