40 years ago, the birth of the first baby "test tube" around the world

On July 25, 1978, Louise Brown, the world's first test tube baby who turned 40 on Wednesday, was born.

Her parents, John and Lesley, wanted to have children but Louise's mother suffered from a deformity in the fallopian tubes that prevented the sperm from meeting the oocytes generated by the woman or that had fused to reach the Uterus for later development.

The in vitro fertilization process, which made the design possible, was conducted by Dr. Patrick Steptoe, Dr. Jean Purdy, and Dr. Bob Edwards in Greater Manchester at Dr. Kershaw Hospital in Royton, England.

After Louise, more than 6 million babies are born scientific progress, accounting for more than 2 percent of all births in the UK.

On July 25, specialists from the University of Manchester will hold an international scientific conference with the Society for Reproduction and Fertility on the History and Future of IVF Treatment.