In March 1988, the birth of a baby made the headlines.
Because this is the first "test-tube baby" in the mainland.
However, her successful birth has attracted many people's doubts.
There are even those who are categorically certain that the baby will not live to be forty years old.
36 years have passed in the blink of an eye, is this "test-tube baby" still alive now?
All content in this article is based on official and reliable sources, and the specific information is detailed at the end of the article
«——[Try your best to have a child]——»
In the 80s of the 20th century, in a small village in Gansu, there lived a woman named Zheng Guizhen, she was an ordinary rural teacher, and after marrying her husband (Zuo Changlin), their life was very difficult, but what worried them was that there was no news in their stomachs after more than 20 years of marriage. The women of her age in the village not only have children, but also go to primary school.
can imagine that in the feudal and backward countryside at that time, Zheng Guizhen, who had no children, was even more faceless.
So, she and her husband decided to go to the Third Hospital of Peking University for a checkup, but they didn't expect to find out problems such as blocked fallopian tubes. As a result, she was unable to conceive through natural means. This was a heavy blow to them, because in China at that time, not having children would be considered a family misfortune and could even affect the stability of the entire marriage.
This is a bolt from the blue for Zheng Guizhen, who is very much looking forward to the child. Later, she tried various home remedies, but to no avail.
Fortunately, she heard on the radio that a hospital in Beijing was trying to do IVF, and after discussing it with her husband, she made up her mind and came to Beijing from Gansu with a glimmer of hope. Although the couple didn't fully understand the new technology, they decided to give it a try, hoping to make their dream of having children come true.
Zhang Lizhu was a doctor at Beijing Third Hospital at the time, and was conducting research on IVF at that time, but before that, this technology in mainland China had not progressed. For this technology or see the success stories of the West.
No one expected that the team led by Zhang Lizhu would make this technology successful and let Zheng Guizhen achieve her wish. So why does she have so much power?
«——【Why does Zhang Lizhu have the ability)——»
Born in Shanghai in January 1921, Zhang Lizhu is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a member of the Communist Party of China. She began her career in 1944 when she received her M.D. degree from St. John's University School of Medicine in Shanghai.
Later, she went to Columbia University in the United States to study endocrinology in obstetrics and gynecology.
In 1950, she obtained a Diploma from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
In 1951, Zhang returned to China and became an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at St. John's University School of Medicine in Shanghai.
In March 1988, she came to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing Medical College to establish the IVF Department at that time. Help more people who do not have children to achieve their wishes.
At that time, due to the backwardness of equipment and lack of knowledge in the mainland, Zhang Lizhu had already conducted 12 cases of IVF research before Zheng Guizhen asked for help, but they all ended in failure. No one thought that Zheng Guizhen would succeed.
The successful process was also difficult, at that time, the culture medium used in the test tube needed to be cultivated by itself, and some tools such as needles for egg retrieval needed to be used repeatedly.
In those difficult times, for this research, in order to solve the problem of many families who could not conceive children due to physical reasons. Even if the previous examples ended in failure, Zhang Lizhu never gave up, but fortunately this time did not disappoint.
Under Zhang Lizhu's operation, each egg was successfully fertilized and became an implantable embryo. A few days later, the embryos were successfully implanted into Zheng Guizhen's uterus.
Jung Gye-jin is pregnant, and the good news fills the hospital, and this persistence has been recognized at this moment. She became the first mother in the world to become pregnant through IVF at the time.
«——[The first test-tube baby was born·]——»
In the following time, Zheng Guizhen, like other mothers, worked hard to conceive for ten months, and the doctors took care of her like a national treasure. In the early morning of March 10, 1988, a cry fell to the ground, and the first IVF baby in the mainland was born. People cheered and rejoiced, and this achievement made Zhang Lizhu a pioneer and an important promoter of IVF technology in China.
As the first test-tube baby to be born, Zheng Guizhen looked forward to the daughter she had for more than 20 years, and she was naturally like a baby, so she was named Zheng Mengzhu.
As the first IVF case in China, many people are full of doubts and worries about the concept of IVF, so her growth and health have received widespread attention. Her birth marked an important milestone in the history of the continent in reproductive technology.
«——【Breaking the rumor that you will not live to be 40 years old】——»
At the beginning of Zheng Mengzhu's birth, the society at that time also generally believed that due to in vitro fertilization technology, which involved the manipulation of the initial stage of life, people were worried that the children conceived in this unnatural way might have health problems, and some even questioned whether these children could live to a normal lifespan. For Zheng Mengzhu, such a voice also exists, and some people question that she may not live to be 40 years old.
However, over time, these fears proved to be unfounded.
With the development of medical technology and the deepening of long-term follow-up research on IVF, more and more evidence shows that IVF has no obvious difference from naturally conceived children in other aspects such as intellectual development and physical health.
The fact that millions of IVF babies are growing healthily around the world has gradually dispelled the public's doubts.
As for herself, under the careful care of her parents, she behaved like a normal person, and she also grew up day by day in love. She received a normal education while growing up, and in 2009, she was admitted to Xijing College and became a college student.
After graduating from university, she returned to work in the Third Hospital of Beijing Medical University (Beijing Medical University Third Hospital) and became a staff member of the hospital's reproductive medicine center, engaged in case management.
In terms of personal life, she also experienced falling in love, getting married, and becoming pregnant in 2018 like ordinary people. People also have an understanding of this "IVF baby".
In addition, other public reports do not point to other significant health problems. In fact, Zheng Mengzhu, like many other IVF babies, lives the life of an ordinary person. Other information about her personal upbringing is not widely known to the outside world, but it is reasonable to assume that her living situation should be the same as that of other people of her age.
Today, Ms. Zheng has surpassed the age at which people initially questioned her lifespan – 40 years old. Although we do not have specific public information to confirm her current health status, judging from the overall development of IVF, she has normal life expectancy, like other IVF.
In addition, with the advancement of scientific research, our understanding of assisted reproductive technology is also deepening. Modern IVF technology has become more advanced and safer, allowing doctors to more precisely monitor embryo development and screen for genetic diseases before implantation, further improving the baby's health.
In general, Zheng Mengzhu, as the first IVF baby in China, her birth is not only a leap in medical technology, but also a challenge to social concepts. Nowadays, as more and more IVF babies become healthy and successful, the acceptance of this technology by society is getting higher and higher.
In fact, not only ordinary people in the mainland are doing test tubes, but also many celebrities are doing it, and they are all very successful.
Actor Zhang Ting once blew himself up that his children are all test-tube babies, and their physical condition is very good, and their family life is very warm. 50-year-old Andy Lau and his 46-year-old wife also successfully gave birth to a daughter through IVF.
In the future, with the continuous development of medical technology, we have reason to believe that assisted reproductive technology will help more people realize their dreams of fertility, and at the same time, it will also continuously improve the health level and quality of life of IVF.
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