While we have compassion for infertile couples seeking to have a baby, there are serious moral problems.  The technique includes manipulating the mother’s body with powerful hormones to produce several eggs at once, rather than the usual one.  Many eggs are fertilized, but many will die during the 3 – 5 day observation period. Those who appear healthiest will be transferred to the mother’s uterus.  Any remaining embryos not used for transfer are frozen for possible later use.  Of those who are transferred to the uterus, only about 31% survive.  In the past, when 4 or 6 embryos were transferred and they all successfully implanted, the doctors will very often advise selective abortion of some of the embryos in order to increase the chances of survival of the remaining two. Now it is more common to only transfer 2 or 3 to the uterus. The survival rates for thawing of frozen embryos ranges from 50-80% (5) although one lab now reports a 90% survival rate.

     In vitro fertilization basically treats “extra” embryos as disposable by-products of one wanted child. But God is the creator of every child, and every child is equally valuable and deserving of nuturing.  Embryos created by IVF are subjected to adverse conditions that put their very survival at risk.  At present, hundreds of thousands of embryos are in frozen storage.  Some are donated to research, where they will die.  Only a small percent is available for adoption. 

    Another moral problem with IVF is that it separates the creation of new life from the physical expression of love between the parents.  Children are treated as a product to be manufactured, a right to be demanded, rather than a gift from God.