How Preimplantation Genetic Testing Can Help Infertility Patients Conceive
For people struggling with infertility, finding the best treatments to help get pregnant fast is key to starting a family without having to wait countless years just to conceive.
There are many non-medical fertility methods prospective parents will seek out first before going to see an infertility specialist doctor. Sometimes these methods work, but if they don’t, often IUI or IVF is the next step on someone’s infertility journey.
Many people facing infertility are tentative to take the leap into medical fertility solutions without knowing what their chances of getting pregnant with infertilty treatments are.
Thankfully, with medical advancements like Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT), chances of a successful pregnancy from an IVF cycle can be significantly increased.
So what is PGT and why might it help someone get pregnant through IVF?
Preimplantation Genetic Testing helps screen for diseases or chromosomal abnormalities in an embryo.
After an egg is fertilized during IVF the resulting embryo is nurtured for five days until it is strong enough to be implanted back into the uterus. At this stage the embryo is called a blastocyst, and all blastocysts are graded based on their appearance. However, even the most beautiful embryos can have chromosomal abnormalities which often leads to not getting pregnant or a miscarriage, voth of which can be devastating for parents struggling with infertility.
To help prevent this during IVF treatment, fertility specialist doctors can utilize PGT to increase the chances of success and reduce the risks of miscarriage.
During PGT screening an expert fertility doctor will take a few cells from a blastocyst and analyze its DNA for abnormalities.
There are several types of PGT tests which used to be called PGS. The types of PGT include, PGT-A, PGT-M, and PGT-SR.
PGT-A and PGT-SR look for chromosomal abnormalities in embryos. More specifically, PGT-A, or Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, determines if the embryo has any missing or extra chromosomes that could result in an embryo not surviving or developing conditions like Downs syndrome (extra chromosome 21). These errors are typically random and related to egg quality, not family history.
PGT-SR looks for abnormalities in chromosomes that are hereditary. Some people can have the right number of chromosomes but pieces of the chromosomes are exactly where they are supposed to be. This rearrangement can lead to much higher risks of miscarriage so PGT-SR helps reduce pregnancy loss.
PGT-M is a separate test that looks at specific genetic changes in an embryo that might be caused by mutations in a single gene. These mutations can be passed down from the parents and may result in diseases in an embryo such as Cystic fibrosis or Huntington’s disease. If one or both of the parents or donors of an embryo is known to carry a recessive condition, have a child with a single gene disorder, have an autosomal dominant condition, carry an X-Linked condition, or have a mutation associated with a hereditary cancer syndrome (BRCA 1&2) then this test is highly recommended to give someone the best chances for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
PGT has been shown to help increase IVF success rates for infertile couples, IVF patients, or women who are concerned about their chances of getting pregnant over 35. For anyone struggling with infertility, utilizing this amazing advancement can help give them peace of mind that they are giving themselves the best possible chances of successfully building their family.
By screening for diseases or abnormalities that may result in miscarriage, there is a higher likelihood that someone will have a successful IVF treatment.
Reproductive Health and Wellness Center is always seeking out the most cutting edge infertility treatments available to help people build their families and have a happy, healthy baby.
We know that it can be difficult sorting through all the overwhelming information about infertility and infertility treatment options. That’s why we’re committed to being available for anyone who has questions, concerns, or needs support with their fertility journey.
We are always here to answer any questions and encourage anyone to reach out to us for any of their infertility needs! To book a consultation, just click here, or, we can always be reached by phone at (949) 516-0606 .
At Reproductive Health and Wellness Center, we are experts at treating fertility issues. We provide the latest in cutting-edge embryo science by using the latest technologies, and we create innovative fertility plans tailored specifically to each individual. But we’re so much more.
