Fernando Bonilla-Musoles facts for kids

Fernando María Bonilla-Musoles was born in Valencia, in 1944. He is a Spanish doctor who specializes in helping women with pregnancy and childbirth (an obstetrician) and women's health (a gynecologist). In 1982, Dr. Bonilla and his team started working on special methods to help people have babies, inspired by the work of Robert Edwards from Britain. These methods are often called "test tube baby" techniques or IVF.

Early Life and Education

Fernando Bonilla finished his medical degree at the University of Valencia in 1967. He then earned his PhD from the same university in 1970. Around this time, new machines were being made to use sound waves (ultrasound) to see inside the body, especially for pregnant women.

Bringing Ultrasound to Spain

Dr. Bonilla's family helped him buy the first three ultrasound machines in 1969. These machines were placed in a hospital in Valencia, a maternity hospital, and his own clinic. He was a pioneer in using ultrasound for obstetrics and gynecology in Latin America during the 1970s. This technology helped doctors see babies inside the womb and check on their health.

Pioneering IVF in Spain

In 1982, Dr. Bonilla's team began to develop advanced methods for helping people have babies. These methods were based on the work of Robert Edwards, who was famous for creating the first "test tube baby."

First IVF Pregnancies

In 1984, Dr. Bonilla's team achieved the first pregnancy in Spain using these "test tube baby" methods. Sadly, the embryo did not survive. Later that same year, another clinic in Barcelona had the first successful "test tube baby" birth in Spain. However, in 1985, Dr. Bonilla's team at the Hospital Clínico de Valencia successfully delivered their first "test tube baby." They also had six more successful pregnancies, making them leaders in public healthcare for this new field in Spain.

Founding IVI

In 1990, Dr. Bonilla, along with Dr. Pellicer and Dr. Remohi, helped create the Valencia Infertility Institute (IVI). This was the first organization in Spain completely focused on assisted human reproduction, which means helping people have children using medical techniques.

Teaching and Leadership

Dr. Bonilla became a professor in Cadiz in 1977. However, he continued to work and teach in his hometown of Valencia. From 1979, he was a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Valencia. He also led the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital Clínico de Valencia until he retired in 2014.

Professional Contributions

Dr. Bonilla was chosen to be the president of the 26th National Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology. This big event was held in Valencia in 2001 and was organized by the Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SEGO). He was also the first director of the Spanish Association of Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (AEPCC).

Dr. Bonilla has written a lot about his field. He is the author of 437 publications and 20 books about his medical specialties. Some of his books have been translated into other languages like Portuguese, German, Russian, and English.