ArticleReproductive biomedicine & society online2015
The Oldham Notebooks: an analysis of the development of IVF 1969-1978. V. The role of Jean Purdy reassessed.
Article in Reproductive biomedicine & society online, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- The ghostwriter and the test-tube baby: a medical breakthrough story.Medical history · 2025Article
- IVF: The women who helped make it happen.Reproductive biomedicine & society online · 2019Article
- Honouring 'Patient 38' - a mother of all IVF mothers?Reproductive biomedicine & society online · 2019Article
- Article
- 'The men who made the breakthrough': How the British press represented Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards in 1978.Reproductive biomedicine & society online · 2017Article
- The Oldham Notebooks: an analysis of the development of IVF 1969-1978. I. Introduction, materials and methods.Reproductive biomedicine & society online · 2015Article
- The Oldham Notebooks: an analysis of the development of IVF 1969-1978. VI. Sources of support and patterns of expenditure.Reproductive biomedicine & society online · 2015Article
- The Oldham Notebooks: an analysis of the development of IVF 1969-1978. III. Variations in procedures.Reproductive biomedicine & society online · 2015Article
- The Oldham Notebooks: an analysis of the development of IVF 1969-1978. IV. Ethical aspects.Reproductive biomedicine & society online · 2015Article
- The Oldham Notebooks: an analysis of the development of IVF 1969-1978. II. The treatment cycles and their outcomes.Reproductive biomedicine & society online · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The role of Jean Purdy in the work leading to the birth of Louise Brown is assessed. We report that Purdy: (i) recorded and organized most of the data systematically; (ii) probably spent longer working in Oldham than did Edwards; (iii) whilst there, was primarily responsible for organizing laboratory supplies, including media preparation and testing; (iv) was involved in patient care; and (v) was a major source of support to Edwards. We find that Purdy, despite her nursing qualification, was not involved in laparoscopic egg retrieval and clinical aspects, but was focused on basic research activities. The evidence on who was present at embryo transfers is less clear, but suggests that Edwards was present for all, whereas Purdy may have been absent for some. Overall, we conclude that Purdy's role was a highly significant and under-appreciated element in the achievement of IVF in Oldham.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.