DEFOREST, Wis. — Miller “Millie” Strommen, a 15-month-old from DeForest, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the national Baby of the Year competition, where her family’s attention is also drawing interest to their experience with infertility and in vitro fertilization. Her mother, Kayla Strommen, said the family entered the contest for fun and did not expect Millie to progress beyond the early rounds. She started among 57 babies and is now in the quarterfinals. Voting is scheduled to run from Oct. 12 through Oct. 22. The contest’s winner receives $25,000, a national advertising campaign with The Honest Company and a feature in Variety. Voters can also donate for additional votes, with proceeds going to Baby2Baby, an organization that provides essential items to children in need. Strommen said she and her husband tried for three years to have a child before seeking fertility care at a Madison-area clinic. After other treatments failed, they chose IVF. She said the process cost about $30,000 and their insurance did not cover it. “For us, like, it was necessary,” Strommen said. “Like, she’s our family.” Strommen developed preeclampsia during the pregnancy, and Millie was born early. The newborn spent two weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit, a period Strommen described as stressful because the family did not know how long they would be there or how things would turn out. Now, she said, Millie is an active toddler who enjoys swimming and being around other children. Her full name, Miller May, reflects family connections: her parents met at Miller Park about 11 years ago, and May is the name of Strommen’s grandmother. If Millie wins, her parents plan to put some of the prize money toward another IVF cycle as they hope to have a second child. Strommen said they both grew up with siblings and want Millie to have that experience. The family has received support from people in Wisconsin, elsewhere in the country and overseas, Strommen said. She also hopes talking about infertility will help counter misconceptions that couples can resolve it simply by changing their habits. “It’s actually nothing that you’re doing,” she said. “It’s just physiology, anatomy, and sometimes you just need a little science to help.”