By Matt Leingang
Enquirer staff writer

It's a family reunion like few others.

The children who gathered at Winton Woods park Sunday had one thing in common: Each was conceived through in-vitro fertilization at the Institute for Reproductive Health in Cincinnati.

Emma Meehling, 8 months, greets Dr. Sherif Awadalla, medical director of the clinic, at the Institute for Reproductive Health's 16th annual reunion picnic held at Parky's Farm in Winton Woods. (Enquirer photo/SARAH CONARD)

Each year the fertility clinic, which has the largest in-vitro program in Ohio, hosts a reunion for its success stories - about 5,000 births since its founding in 1987.

Sunday's reunion featured about 800 families from across the country.

The event is a way for mothers and fathers to share their collective experience - the emotional highs and lows of going through the process, as well as the miracle of life, said Dr. Erica Behnke, the clinic's lab director.

"When we started, there was still quite a stigma about infertility. People didn't talk about it in public," Behnke said. "But that's changing. These couples know that they are not alone, and as technology keeps improving, the outlook is more promising than ever."

Infertility affects 6 million American couples, about 10 percent of the reproductive age population. In-vitro fertilization involves mixing eggs with sperm in a laboratory dish to achieve conception. The resulting embryos are then transferred to a woman's uterus.

The Cincinnati clinic's pregnancy success rate is 45 percent to 50 percent, Behnke said.

There were a lot of smiles Sunday as the children went on hay rides, rode ponies, played games and munched on hamburgers and other picnic food.

Children inevitably ask about the purpose of the event. Why are they here? Who are these other kids?

Parents are ready with answers, and there's no shame in letting them know the truth, even if some kids aren't quite old enough to understand.

"I tell them that the doctor helped put a baby in mommy's tummy," said Alison Bushman, 32, of Anderson Township. She and her husband, Lee, have 3-year-old twins, Amy and Emma.

Marc and Mary Okin drove from Columbus to attend Sunday's reunion. In-vitro fertilization led to the birth of their daughter, Olivia, three years ago. "It really was a miracle," said Marc Okin, 43, who underwent a bone marrow transplant 15 years ago, a procedure that left him sterile. At least that's what the doctors told him back then.

But the Cincinnati clinic was able to find a few healthy sperm in Okin's donation. "All I needed was one, and it was amazing how the doctors here made it work," Okin said.

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E-mail mleingang@enquirer.com