I was intrigued by the story of Louise Brown, known as the world's first test tube baby, when it came up in the article "Making Muslim Babies." My primary source of interest was that I had never actually heard her name before and knew nothing about her story. For a technology that is relatively common today, it is surprising to me that there is little discussion of the pioneers. (On a side note, there's a good chance this is a trend in the development of most new technologies and I am only noticing this one now having read the article). After doing some research I found that she has stayed relatively hidden from the media and led a fairly unassuming life so far. While there was mention of her writing an autobiography, the only other major thing discussed by news outlets was Louise's reports on the hate mail her parents received following her birth.
In reading short biographies about Louise and her family I noticed that there was special emphasis placed on how each person discussed in the story was conceived. Louise and her sister, for instance, were both conceived with IVF. Their children though, the articles make sure to point out, were all conceived naturally with no medical intervention. The way it was portrayed made me think that there is a perception that reproductive issues are genetic and must run in the family. The fact that Louise and her sister were able to conceive naturally was almost portrayed as something surprising or abnormal. I'm having difficulty parsing out if this type of writing is due to the subject matter (conception) or actual beliefs about reproductive issues, but I have a feeling it is a bit of both. If so, does this trend of 'assumed heredity' appear in writings on other medical issues people besides the patient are discussed?
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