A Bum Rap for Dr. Steptoe

Chicago group withdraws his award for test-tube baby

Gynecologist Patrick Steptoe and Physiologist Robert Edwards have basked in acclaim and glory since the July birth of Louise Brown, the world's first test-tube baby. But last week a shadow was cast over the Britons' triumph. Chicago's Barren Foundation, set up to promote fertility research, abruptly canceled plans to honor Steptoe on Nov. 15 with its annual award. Reason: Steptoe and Edwards have not yet published a detailed report of their work in a medical journal. The decision caused confusion among doctors and the public, and prompted at least one newspaper, the New York Post, to headline: FIRST TEST-TUBE BABY A HOAX?

Though the foundation's directors were quick to deny that the withdrawal of the award meant any such thing, their words did little to allay the doubts. Explained Dr. Jay Gold, of the University of Illinois medical school and chairman of the foundation's medical advisory board: "The advisory committee felt it would be premature to present an award before publication of the information to substantiate claims made in the lay press."

Dr. Richard Blandau, a respected fertility researcher at the University of Washington and the board's vice chairman, was more accusatory: "There is great concern that Dr. Steptoe has failed to publish and explain fully what he did. To many of us with great experience in the field, it still has not been proved that there was a test-tube baby. For all we know so far, the baby could have been conceived by natural means." According to an interview with Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Irv Kupcinet, Blandau further charged that Steptoe had "violated med ical ethics by selling his story to the National Enquirer, supposedly for $650,000, instead of publishing his story in a scientific journal." He also blasted Steptoe for giving "false hope to millions of women because he has not revealed how many failures he had before this one birth."

Blandau later claimed that he had been misquoted in the press, but it seemed evident that he had given Steptoe and Edwards a bum rap. Though all scientists agree that Steptoe must document his claim, most do not regard his delay as a "failure to publish." Indeed, a scientific paper is usually not in print until from six months to a year after research is completed. Says Dr. Albert Decker of the New York Fertility Research Foundation, which is going ahead with its plans to present Steptoe with an award on Dec. 1: "You can't expect him to publish the minute it's over with."

Steptoe's detractors are apparently overlooking the fact that he has published detailed descriptions of his work in the past, and that both Steptoe and Edwards have publicly denied receiving money from any newspaper for exclusive stories about their work. Indeed, some of the critics may have been taken aback when, soon after Steptoe's award was withdrawn, British newspapers reported, and Edwards confirmed, that Scotswoman Grace Montgomery, 32, is due to give birth to a test-tube baby in mid-February. Its laboratory godfathers: Steptoe and Edwards.

At week's end, when word of the controversy reached Steptoe, who was traveling in Australia, he was "offended and surprised." Edwards was more combative. Said he: "We will lay our results before the medical and scientific communities for critical and open scrutiny as soon as it is possible, having regard to the requirements of scientific research in medical affairs. Any suggestions to the contrary, and any questioning of our good faith and competence are deeply resented and, I am advised, actionable."

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