Test Tube Babies, As Adults, Meet For First Time

(CBS) – Louise Brown and Elizabeth Carr are known for being among the first test tube babies in the late-'70s and early-'80s.

CBS 2's Sandra Torres was there when they met for the first time, in Chicago.

The emotional embrace was a moment years in the making.

"That hug was kind of a release and a recognition of 'I understand what you've been through,'" Carr says.

They both share a unique piece of history. Both made headlines around the world. Louise was the world's first test tube baby, born in the U.K. in 1979. Elizabeth was America's first In Vitro Fertilization baby, born in Virginia in 1981.

The two had Skyped before, but met for the first time Friday at the Midwest Reproductive Symposium in Chicago at the invitation of Dr. Angie Beltsos.

"When you look at Louise Brown's parents and Elizabeth Carr's parents, it took so much courage," Beltsos says. "Imagine putting egg and sperm together in a dish to make a baby -- that is mind-blowing."

While Louise and Elizabeth are pleased to see the growth in reproductive medicine, they feel there's more work to be done. They say IVF should be available to anyone, regardless of their financial situation.

Both women are now married and have a family of their own. Louise has two boys, and Elizabeth has a 6-year-old boy -- not through IVF.