A full circle of life: Vietnam’s first IVF baby girl becomes a mother at 28

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Wednesday, Ho Manh Tuong, director of My Duc Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, confirmed that Tran delivered a healthy baby boy by cesarean section.

The operation was performed at 11:15 am at My Duc Hospital by Professor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, former director of Tu Du Hospital, and Associate Professor Vuong Thi Ngoc Lan, vice president of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City. 

Both physicians played key roles in bringing IVF technology to Vietnam and helping make Tran’s birth possible in 1998.

“Both mother and baby are doing very well,” Tuong said. “Tran is recovering after surgery, and everything has gone smoothly.”

The newborn weighed 3,150 grams and was reported to be healthy, with a strong cry and normal coloration.

Tran’s condition remained stable following the cesarean delivery.

A milestone in Vietnam’s IVF history

Tran’s story is closely tied to the development of reproductive medicine in Vietnam.

On April 30, 1998, three babies made history at Tu Du Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, including Mai Quoc Bao, Pham Tuong Lan Thy, and Luu Tuyet Tran.

They were the first children in Vietnam born through IVF treatment.

Among the three, Tran was the last to be born, arriving at 9:00 am under the care of Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong.

Her birth represented years of struggle for her parents, Luu Tan Luc and Tran Thi Bach Tuyet, who faced infertility before seeking treatment at Tu Du Hospital.

Tuyet recalled learning that one of her fallopian tubes was blocked.

After undergoing examinations, she was informed by Phuong that there was still hope.

About a month later, she was invited to participate in one of Vietnam’s earliest IVF programs.

Tuyet described her daughter as “my whole life” and refers to Phuong, Lan, and Tuong as the benefactors who helped fulfill her dream of becoming a mother.

“For me, this is the most sacred and precious thing in my life,” she said.

Tran, who graduated in information technology from Tien Giang University in southern Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, has long embraced her identity as one of Vietnam’s pioneering IVF children.

“I am grateful to the doctors who brought me into this world and gave me this miraculous life,” she said.

She expressed hope that her family’s journey can inspire other couples facing infertility challenges, just as her own parents once did.

Stories behind the first three IVF babies

The names of the three children also reflect the families' gratitude to the medical team.

Pham Tuong Lan Thy’s middle name, Tuong Lan, combines the names of doctors Ho Manh Tuong and Vuong Thi Ngoc Lan, who were entrusted with participating in the three IVF procedures 28 years ago.

Her family chose the name to honor the doctors and remind her of the people who helped give her life.

Mai Quoc Bao, the only boy among the three and the first to be born on April 30, 1998, is nearly 1.8 meters tall and enjoys playing soccer.

He graduated from the University of Economics and Finance in Ho Chi Minh City in 2021 and works for a logistics company, following in his father’s professional footsteps.

Their successful births on Vietnam’s Reunification Day (April 30) helped pave the way for the development of IVF treatment in the country.