A couple who was unable to bear a child, on clinical examination revealed that the wife was unable to produce a normal egg. How would you advice the infertile couple to have children?

Explanation

(i) In vitro fertilization (IVF). In this method, the fertilization occurs outside the body and is followed by Embryo transfer (ET). This technique is applied when the fallopian tube of the mother is blocked and she is-unable to conceive. In this technique, the egg of a donor is removed and fertilized (in vitro) by the husband/donor sperm outside her body under sterile conditions. The fertilized egg when reaches up to 8 celled (blastomeres) stage, it is transferred into the fallopian tube (ZIFT-zygote intra fallopian transfer) and the embryos with more than 8 blastomeres into the uterus (IUT-intra uterine transfer) to complete its further development.
(ii) GIFT (Gamete intra fallopian transfer). In this method, an ovum is collected from a donor and is transferred into fallopian tube of another female who cannot produce one but can provide suitable environment for fertilization and development.
(iii) Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). It is a specialized procedure to form an embryo in the laboratory where sperm is directly injected into the ovum.
(iv) Artificial insemination (AI). In this technique, the semen collected either from the husband or a healthy donor is artificially introduced either into the vagina or into the uterus (IUI-intra uterine insemination) of the female.