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Number Of Test-Tube Babies Born in U.S. Set Record

By Kamal Nayan | Update Date: Feb 17, 2014 09:05 AM EST

The total number of test-tube babies born in United States was 61,740 in 2012, more than ever, according to recent reports. The percentage is also the highest of total births ever recorded after the technology was introduced three decades ago. 

The annual report was published by Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), an organization of medical professionals. 

SART has 379 clinics as members which is also around 90 percent of infertility clinics in the United States. Clinics reported a total 165,172 procedures of vitro fertilization (IVF) - a procedure which requires eggs from the mother-to-be or a donor to be fertilized in the lab. 

In the same year, total 3.9 million babies were born in the country and the IVF newborns accounted for over 1.5 percent of the total which is also the highest in the records. 

Keeping the fact apart that the technology has become mainstream, critics have been pointing towards its dull success rates and mask wide disparities. 

"It's important for people to understand that women over 35 have the highest percentage of failures," said Miriam Zoll, author of the 2013 book "Cracked Open: Liberty, Fertility and the Pursuit of High Tech Babies," according to Reuters

"These treatments have consistently failed two-thirds of the time since 1978, when the first test tube baby was born, in England," added Zoll. 

Fertility problems become more common as people age, the growing percentage reflects growing inclination towards adopting the technology. Reports suggest that currently the average age of first time mothers is about 26 years whereas in 1970 the age used to be 21.4 years. 

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