First babies born via mobile IVF lab from UHasselt in South Africa

Two babies have been born in South Africa as a result of a simplified, low-cost IVF treatment carried out in a mobile laboratory. That is a global first, according to Hasselt University (UHasselt). The pilot project, in collaboration with the University of Pretoria, aims to make fertility care accessible in low- and middle-income countries.

The mobile lab, developed after years of research by The Walking Egg vzw, UHasselt’s Limburg Clinical Research Center, the University of Pretoria, and Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, enables artificial fertilisation at a fraction of traditional IVF costs. Of ten participating couples, five became pregnant, resulting in four ongoing pregnancies and one miscarriage.

The first baby, Milayah (2.7 kg), was born on 18 June in Rustenburg, followed by Rossouw (3.1 kg) a day later. Four participants also have surplus embryos in cryopreservation.

“This study proves that simplified IVF in a mobile lab can achieve success rates comparable to traditional clinics”

“This study proves that simplified IVF in a mobile lab can achieve success rates comparable to traditional clinics”, said fertility experts Prof Dr Willem Ombelet and Dr Gerhard Boshoff. 

Further trials are planned in Egypt, India, and Indonesia.

^{​#FlandersNewsService | A fertility clinic in Brussels © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}