today louise brown is 32. alive and well. seen here celebrating a recent birthday with robert edwards. she conceived her own child naturally in 2007. the 85-year-old edwards is a professor emeritus at the university of cambridge, he was too ill to comment this morning. for more on edwards, his work for more on edwards, his work and its impact, we're joined by dr. robert stillman, medical director of the shady grove fertility center, which is based the washington, d.c., area. thanks for being with us. >> it's a pleasure, especially on this auspicious occasion. >> woodruff: well, dr. edwards was working on this for two decade before there was success. what drove him, what was pushing him to do this? >> the idea that louise proun would have a birth and have a child of her own 32 years later drove him, and his partner dr. steptoe. >> woodruff: we heard the scientist who worked with him say that there was a lack of funding, there was opposition. what exactly were they dealing with back then? >> well, there was a huge limitation on

. >> tell us, what is the biggest change intreatmt since1978 when louise brown was born in england, thest test tube baby? >> well, barbara, there's been actually so many different changes. four major ones. first of all, louise brown was born in a natural cye, in other words, the one egg that her mother produced was reved, fertilized and replaced. the first big change we've seen is the use of not natul cycle but using fertility drugs to resc rescue theegg. >> doesn't it make a lot more sense to produce a lot more eggs, upping the chance, i'm sure it's an expeive procedure, that you'd get more eggs thanust that one? >> that's exactly right. and the second one, that the egg procedure was formed microscopically. a microscopic surgeon went in and retrieved that gg. it's a lot harder to get that one egg then when you went into the belly. now all the injections are formed transvaginally. when you had to go in lap scopically and go for multipl eggs, you had a better chance of coming out with at least something to work with. >> let me ask you, in the last 10, 15 years are you seeing more births

louise brown was the world's first test tube baby, held by dr. robert edwards.ibed her birth as a miracle. speaking two years ago, professor edwards described the media frenzy at the time. >> the press was chasing me all over bristol in england, secretly. we hid the mother in a car and drove to her mother's house in lincoln. >> reporter: louise brown said she was delighted for professor edwards who has been more than a doctor to her. >> it's just like -- he's just like close family, like a grandad. i was just so very pleased. and obviously it can come at a better time. i know he's not very well at the moment. >> reporter: it's here at this clinic that he did much of his early research. this is where professor edwards used to work. the laboratories were different in his day. back then, the idea of fertilizing sperm and egg in a glass dish seemed revolutionary. although we take fertility treatments for granted now, it took 20 years of painstaking research to turn this simple idea into reality. >> it was tremendously important because before the first test tube bab

the has been hit the mother in his car and drove around to his mother's car appeared >> tonight, louise brown said she is delighted for dr. edward, who has been more than a doctor to repair >> needless to say -- dr. to her. >> needless to say, i am very pleased. i know that he is not very well at the moment. >> this is where professor edwards used to work. the lowborn trees were different in his -- the laboratories were different in his day. it took 20 years of painstaking research to turn this simple idea into reality. >> it is tremendously important because, but for the first test tube was taken, there was no real treatment for infertile couples. it was a taboo subject the people did not talk about, that they kept secret if they have problems. >> in 1983, the walton sextuplets were born. over the years, it has become a safe and reliable technique. tonight, the vatican, which has always objected to the creation and discarding of human embryos by scientists, has criticizing the awarding of the nobel prize to professor edwards. the 4 million ibf children born since louis brown are living testi

. >> it all started with louise brown on jewel 25th, 1978.e feelings of couples around the world who suddenly had new hope of becoming parents. >> we knew for the first time that medicine had entered human conception tea icively and that from now on, we would look at illnesses and diseases as part of medicine. >> reporter: the vat crab still opposes ivf claiming it lets doctors play god. and even some doctors say the technique should be off limits to certain women like the world's oldest mother who gave birth at age 70. two years later, she is now dying. an remember octomom? she used in vitro to give birth to octuplets even though she already had six children, was out of work and on welfare. despite the controversy, one colleague calls edwards and steptoe's invngs a fantastic achievement. >> through their work, have managed to change the face of society and also many different aspect of medicine. >> today, the very first test tube baby is a mother herself. louise brown says she conceived her son the old-fashioned way. today, the probability t

july 25, 1978, louise brown was born in britain, the world's first test-tube baby. today, she is a mother herself. her birth was made possible by this man, a british scientist robert edwards, known as the father of in vitro fertilization. for more than 20 years edwards and his late colleague worked to develop ivf. in 1977, they successfully fertilized egg cells outside a woman's body and implanted them into her womb. since then, 4 million babies have been born things to in vitro fertilization. the nobel jury said edwards' work has brought joy to infertile couples around the world, calling it a milestone in modern medicine. the 85-year-old is too old to grant interviews, but his wife says the family is delighted by the honor. >> there was another award. the winner of the german book prize is eight serbian-born author whose novel "dawkins" -- "falcons" is based on her own experience. her family fled the balkans to a new life in switzerland. >> she learned about being an outsider at a young age. so does the book's author. she was born to a hungarian- speaking family in

louise brown says she conceived her son the old fashioned way.rs of the nobel committee says research has shown test tube babies are as healthy as any other child. in a recent study, the i.v.f. kids did better on standardized test than the classmates. by the way, no word on why the nobel committee is honoring edwards now after all these years. >>> well, a new sex survey out today. suggests adults are spicing things up in the bedroom. but they may not be doing so safely. according to the nationwide study from indiana university researchers sexually active teenagers are much more likely than adults to use condoms. 80% of guys and 60% of girls say they practice safe sex. that's nearly four times the rate for adults over 40. the survey suggests americans have become more experimental since the last major sex survey 16 years ago. they tallied 41 different combination of sex acts, not including kissing. and then there is the orgasm gap. about 85% of men said their partner climaxed the last time they had sex. but only 64% of women report having actually

then in 1978, with the birth of louise brown, the dream became a reality. more than four million so-called test tube babies would follow. many, like brown are, now grown and have children of their own. here's a question-- what is the most diverse region in the world? turns out, it's the ocean. scientists just completed the first marine census. they identified 250,000 different species, including some pretty strange ones, like the vampire squid, or how about the kiwa, which looks like a furry crab. and this one, a microscopic creature found off the australian coast? >> couric: we end with our modern day magellan, steve hartman, circumnavigating the world in search of interesting people and stories. in the past few weeks he's taken us to south america and australia. tonight, another continent for the latest chapter in his serie "everybody in the world has a story." >> lifted off. >> reporter: as we continue our mission, to boldly go where no news network has gone before, to bring back stories of our universal humanity, we once again turn to space station comm

the world welcomed louise brown. since then, 4 million babies born using ivf.obel committee said today robert edwards brings joy to infertile people all over the world. >>> and we want to thank you for the avalanche of e-mails and messages you've sent us from all of you in response to our special on islam last friday night. we're going to continue answering questions in the weeks ahead so keep sending them to us at abcnews.com/worldnews. >>> and, as john f. kennedy said, when we go back to the ocean, we, in essence, go back to the place we began. tonight, meet some of our ancient neighbors. it is the first census of marine life. researchers trolled the world's oceans for a decade. they pin pointed a total of 250,000 different species in the sea including a dragonfish with a ferocious bite, a distant cousin of the jellyfish, and also a creature that uses a dart on its tongue to harpoon dinner. >>> and we have a new photo for our cool sport shot hall of fame. it's from the ryder cup this this is tiger woods' golf ball coming right at the camera. the photographer

it was his work that led to the first of the first so-called test tube baby, louise brown, back in 1978e then, 4 million people have been as a result of the ivf. the vatican protested today, saying the nobel committee ignored ethical questions raised by his work. it's going to make more than a viral infection and hospitalization to keep a former president down. that is former president jimmy carter who just turned 86 on friday, and just got out of the hospital, was busy today helping build houses for habitat for humanity, as he has so many times before, braving a rainy day in washington, carter said he felt good and plans to keep working as long as god lets him. >>> some folks in san francisco are being accused of trying to take the happy out of happy meals. a proposed city ordinance would force mcdonald's to take the toys out of the happy meals, with the alternative goal of forcing mcdonald's to make the meals healthier instead. the famously liberal city has a history of bold public health policies. most recently banning cigarette sales in drug and grocery and discount stores. as you m

and louise brown was the first baby born in 1978 through the invetro fertilization. >>> many are feeling itchy, crawlly, nervous. >> i'm feeling like something's on me. >> reporter: bedbugs are infesting all areas of the city. >> we don't know why, but they magritte and hitchhike. >> reporter: wednesday, service several were found. they hide too mattresses, cur answer the, clothing and pillows. they get around easily from person to person and house to house. all they need is a space as wide as a credit card. >> they're knock ternal and secretive. >> and once you bring them home, they're hard to get rid of. >> reporter: without an exterminator, you can dry on high heat and the challenge is finding them. a female bedbug lays 500 new ones. and this is epidemic in some parts of the country. >> we don't have any. >> no, no, no. >>> have you heard from the neighbors across the street. these folks live in butter hill, the hardest hit area. and no house is immune and the bugs are strapping the surface of a long term announces. >>> and two lawsuits against management companies are pending as a re

celebrating the birthd of louise brown, the first baby born through groundbreaking in vitro fertilizationrds worked with another scientist to create the procedure which involved fertilizing an egg then implanting it inside a woman's body. steptoe died in 1988. their breakthrough helped millions of infertile couples have children. >>> well you know what an acceptable blood pressure reading is? and more importantly, what do the numbers mean for your health? here's dr. allison brucker to break it down. >> called the silent killer. >> reporter: he's talking about an incredibly common disease, high blood pressure. >> just going to check your blood pressure, okay? >> reporter: aleading cau of stroke, heart attack and kidney failure. >> i should know it but i don't. >> you know who what you're supposed to do. >> most people who have elevated blood pressure don't feel anything until it's really high or it starts to cause bad complications. >> sin it doesn't hurt, i guess i'm like everybody else, you don't do anything about it until it gets really serious. >> a blood pressure reading appears in tw

. >>> well it has been 32 years since louise joy brown was born and if it doesn't sound familiar, she was the world's first test tube baby. this set off in-vitro fertilization. and it is still an evolving field. while millions of families have got ebb the baby they dreamed of, many have grappled with ethical issues. joining us now, dr. michael demattina and author of the book 100 questions and answers about infertility. and he worked with dr. robert edwards who was just awarded the nobel prize for his work in the ivf field. >> good morning to you. >> it's been more than 0 years. you've been in this field for quite a number of years. you can believe -- you can believe we've reached this milestone. >> it's fantastic. it's good news for those in this country and around the world. millions of babies have been reduced to in-vitro fertilization and it revolutionized our approach to those who could not have families or babies and now the procedure in 1978, which had less than a 1% chance of producing a baby, now most people who go through the procedure, the ivf are rewarded and are successfu

it first succeeded in 1978 with the birth of louise brown, the original test tube baby.thers fought for their countries and died on different battle fields now will share a final resting place side by side. their incredible story tonight only on the "cbs evening news." back "the early show." >> dave price is off this morning but we want to make sure you get your check of the weather, about five minutes past the hour. looking nice in the southern plains, plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures there. in the mid-atlantic and northeast, cloudy skies, scattered showers and cool temperatures expected to last throughout the day. the west coast looking at wet weather, as well. tloerms could bring a quick downpour to areas in the southwest and northwest. >> announcer: this weather report sponsored by farmers insurance. we are farmers. we are insurance. >> and now, here's harry. >> all right, erica. up next, former president jimmy carter speaks to us exclusively in his first interview since he fell ill last week. he's going to be hard at work today for habitat for humanity. we'l

property can come true and the taxpayer can make a true profit on this in three or four years. >> brown: louise, before we go, tim geithner has referred to this shortening the time line a great deal. >> suarez: how long will it take for the united states government to g out of a.i.g.? >> even treasury officials are saying today that it won't be until february or march next year that they kick off this plan where they'll start selling the stock, and a lot of different investors i have spoken to out there think that could take months, if not years. again, they're trying to sell a whole neighborhood, and it is very tricky. >> suarez: louise story and roben farzad, thank you both. >> thank you. >> thank you, ray. >> brown: still to come on the "newshour": as congress heads home to campaign, we talk to house speaker nancy pelosi. plus, stimulus dollars and public transit in mississippi; a drug maker under fire and a safe haven for writers in danger. but first, the other news of the day. here's hari sreenivasan in our newsroom. >> sreenivasan: the white house chief of staff rahm emanuel plans to resi

i am in the office with mayor willie brown, who i still could not find enough mr. mayors to say his name. louise comes in to discuss the future of laguna honda hospital. she had just won this huge settlement with the tobacco company. she was the first of any local city attorney to join in that lawsuit. at the time, a lot of people were arguing tobacco companies would overwhelm us. there will be all of these freedom of information act. you should not do it. she stood bravely and did it. she said to the mayor, and i will never forget -- she said "we have this opportunity. we can either use this money to rebuild laguna honda or we can pass it away -- piss it away." that was the exact quote. [applause] before i bring her up, i have to ask one more question. almost all of you are residents of the state of california. where is the tobacco money from the state of california? it was much larger amounts of money because it was a whole state. do any of you know? it is just part of the hole in the state's budget. it went into the general fund. what do we have because of luis? we have this beautiful buildin