Louise Brown (born July 25, 1978) was the world's first baby to be born by in vitro fertilization. She is currently a postal worker and previously was a day care worker in Bristol.
Brown was born to Lesley and John Brown of England, who had been trying to conceive for nine years, but without success due to Lesley's blocked Fallopian tubes. On November 10, 1977, Lesley Brown underwent the procedure by Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards.
Crucially, although the Browns knew the procedure was experimental, the doctors did not tell them that no case had yet resulted in a baby, raising questions of informed consent. Other bioethics questions include whether or not the doctors would be killing when they discard some of the unused fertilized eggs.
Brown was born at 11:47 p.m. at Oldham General Hospital, Oldham, through a planned caesarean section. She weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces (2.608 kg) at birth.
Brown was engaged as of 2003. She married in September 2004.
