First U.S. Test-Tube Baby Gives Birth

The first child to be born after her mother was impregnated via in-vitro fertilization. The birth occurred in 1981 with cameras rolling, marking one of the biggest leaps in medical science. IVF has become a viable treatment option for couples and single women alike who are struggling to become pregnant the old fashioned way.

Elizabeth Comeau(now Carr) was known as the first test-tube baby ever born in the U.S.. The test-tube reference is due to the method of conception, it happened in a test tube so to speak. The baby girl has grown up and just recently gave birth to her first son. She wants to keep her privacy as much as possible. She opted to write a letter informing the world about her good news. She explains she does not want to subject her son to the constant media attention she faced during her childhood. She also lets the world know her son was conceived “the normal way.”

Back in the early 1980s the treatment was illegal in some states. Comeau’s mother was forced to travel to Virginia to receive the treatment from Dr. Howard Jones. The procedure had proven successful in the U.K., but the U.S. was still contemplating its viability when the elder Comeau chose to have it done.