History

At Monash IVF, we’re proud of pioneering history. We achieved the world’s first IVF pregnancy in 1973—and we’ve never looked back. Our dynamic team of experts work tirelessly to ensure our vision for the future is crucially informed by the successes of our past. Resting on our laurels just isn’t in our DNA.

Monash IVF timeline

1971 – Monash IVF was formed

1973 – World’s first IVF pregnancy

Monash IVF achieved the world’s first IVF pregnancy.

1980 – Australia’s first IVF birth

We achieved Australia’s first IVF birth and the third IVF birth in the world.

1983 – World’s first frozen embryo birth

Monash IVF achieved the world’s first ever baby born from an embryo frozen prior to transfer.

1984 – World’s first birth from donated eggs

We achieved the world’s first successful pregnancy using donor eggs, providing women unable to conceive using their own eggs with a vital new option.

1985 – World’s first pregnancy and birth from surgically-removed sperm

We accomplished the world’s first pregnancy and birth from a sperm-retrieval operation (for a blocked sperm duct).

1987 – Development of world’s first sperm microinjection technology

By pioneering the world’s first sperm microinjection technology, the Monash IVF Group paved the way for the development of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment.

1989 – Australia’s first IVF surrogate birth

We achieved Australia’s first IVF surrogate birth.

1995 – Australia’s first birth from in-vitro maturation

We achieved Australia’s first birth from in-vitro maturation, a process where a baby was born via growing and fertilising immature eggs.

1996 – Australia’s first birth using PGT (preimplantation genetic testing)

Monash IVF achieved Australia’s first birth using preimplantation genetic testing, where an embryo is genetically tested before being transferred into the uterus.

1999 – Our Australian team achieved the first baby born from a vitrified egg

In collaboration with Italian scientists, Monash IVF achieved the world’s first birth from a vitrified egg. The new technique of freezing eggs improved success rates and paved the way for the vitrification technique we use today.

2010 – First Australian elected as President of the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS)

Monash IVF Fertility Specialist, the late Professor David Healy, was the first Australian elected to lead the IFFS, a global organisation overseeing Fertility Societies in more than 65 countries.

2013 – Australia’s first pregnancy from ovarian tissue grafting

In this groundbreaking treatment, we re-implanted ovarian tissue a woman who had experienced premature menopause due to chemotherapy treatment.

2014 – Australia’s first pregnancy from PGT-A (preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy screening)

We achieved Australia’s first pregnancy from PGT-A, where an embryo is screened for chromosome changes.

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