首次女性體內受精成功 標誌著「試管嬰兒」時代將結束

An IVF breakthrough could signal the end of the 』test tube baby』 by allowing fertilisation to occur inside a woman’s body for the first time.

近日試管受精技術取得一項突破性進展，首次實現了在女性體內進行受精，這可能標誌著「試管嬰兒」時代的結束。

The development, to be offered within weeks to British couples having trouble conceiving, means the crucial first stage of embryo development can take place in the natural surroundings of the womb rather than in the laboratory – just as in normal conception.

這一進展意味著胚胎髮育的第一步可以像正常受孕時一樣在子宮自然環境中進行，而不是在實驗室。

接下來幾周，這一技術將提供給在受孕方面有困難的英國夫婦。

The cutting-edge process involves inserting a device smaller than a matchstick, containing a mixture of sperm and eggs, into the woman’s body. It is removed after 24 hours to allow doctors to assess which of the resulting embryos are healthy enough to be implanted in the hope of achieving a successful pregnancy.

實施這一尖端技術，需要將一個比火柴棍還小、其中含有精子和卵子的設備嵌入女性體內，並在24小時後移出，隨後，醫生會對產生的胚胎進行評估，將其中足夠健康的胚胎移植回女性體內，以期實現成功受孕。

Leading fertility experts say it offers women an important psychological benefit as it gives them greater biological involvement in the creation of their children. Doctors believe it may also boost IVF success rates and the long-term health of the children.

前沿的生育專家表示，這將為女性帶來重要的心理撫慰，因為從生理角度看她們更大程度的參與了孩子的孕育。

醫生相信這項技術還將極大提高試管嬰兒的成功率以及促進兒童的長期健康。

The technique, which has been used successfully in some European clinics, was formally approved by the fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), in September.

這一技術已在歐洲一些診所得到成功應用，它於今年9月正式獲得生育監管機構人類受精和胚胎學管理局的批准。

It will be available at the Complete Fertility clinic, based at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, from the New Year and will cost a few hundred pounds more than the 3,800 pounds cost of standard IVF.

總部位於英國NHS信託基金會南安普頓大學醫院的完全生育診所從明年新年開始將提供這一技術，它比標準試管嬰兒技術的價格(3800鎊，約36608元)要貴幾百鎊。

Clinic director Nicholas Macklon, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Southampton, said: 』The advantage is that the early embryo is being exposed to the same natural chemical environment of a spontaneous pregnancy.

診所主任、南安普頓大學產科和婦科教授尼古拉斯·麥克隆表示：「這一技術的優勢在於早期胚胎將暴露在與自然受孕相同的自然化學環境裡。

We know IVF babies are slightly different – the birth weight is slightly lower. Although that’s not significant for early survival, we know it’s linked to long-term health.

我們知道試管嬰兒與正常受孕的嬰兒略有不同，試管嬰兒的出生體重較輕，雖然這對早期階段的胚胎存活並不重要，但會影響嬰兒此後長期的健康狀況。

』There’s increasing evidence this is to do with the culture medium we use in the laboratory – so if we can keep them for as long as possible inside the uterus, not only do we expose them to all the goodies only mum can provide but we save them from being exposed to a synthetic environment at a very sensitive stage of early development.』

有越來越多的證據表明這與實驗室使用的培養基有關，因此，如果我們能使胚胎儘可能長時間的待在子宮裡，那麼胚胎就能享受母體提供的各種營養物質，還避免了在早期發育的敏感階段暴露在人工合成的環境裡。

During IVF, an egg is removed from the woman’s ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory. The fertilised embryo is then returned to the woman’s womb after six days to grow and develop.

試管嬰兒技術過程中，需要取自女性卵巢的一個卵子，將其與實驗室的精子受精結合。

6天後，受精的胚胎被重新注入女性子宮中進行生長發育。

IVF involves six main stages: first the menstrual cycle is suppressed with medication, then other drugs are used to encourage the ovaries to produce more eggs than usual. Ultrasound scans check the development of the eggs, and further medication is used to help them mature.

試管嬰兒技術主要有6步：首先通過藥物抑制女性月經周期，接著使用其他藥物刺激卵巢產生比平時多的卵子。

利用超聲波掃描檢查卵子的發展狀態，根據卵子的發展狀況進一步使用藥物促使卵子成熟。

To 』harvest』 the eggs, a needle is inserted into the ovaries, via the vagina. Traditionally, the eggs are then mixed with the sperm for a few days 』in vitro』 – in a lab dish – to allow them to be fertilised before one or two are placed into the womb.

到卵子成熟的時候，用針管經由陰道插入卵巢獲取卵子。

傳統試管嬰兒技術中，在移入子宮前，卵子和精子結合後在實驗室培養皿這一體外環境中進行受精。

The new process involves mixing the sperm and eggs and placing them instead in the Anecova AneVivo device, which is about 1cm long and 1mm wide. This is inserted painlessly without an anaesthetic. Couples return home from the clinic while fertilisation takes place.

而最新的試管受精過程，精子和卵子結合後，將它們放置在一個長約1厘米，寬1厘米的Anecova AneVivo設備中培養，這一設備無需麻醉劑即可無痛注射至女性體內，從診所回家的路上受精過程就已經發生。

The HFEA agreed at a meeting last month that there was no evidence the technique was unsafe. However, it cautioned that there was also no evidence so far it was more effective than standard IVF and might 』add an unnecessary cost to patients』.

上個月HFEA在一次會議上表示目前尚未有任何證據表明這種技術不安全。

然而，它警告稱目前也沒有任何證據表明它比標準的試管嬰兒技術更有效，它或可能「為病人增加不必要的開銷」。