Preimplantation
Genetic Testing - PGT

PGT at Reproductive Health and Wellness Center

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Advances in genetics testing have had profound results for the field of fertility. Genetic diagnosis and screening increases pregnancy rates, decreases miscarriage rates, greatly reduces IVF failure rates and reduces the overall time it takes for you get pregnant and have your baby.

Embryos with chromosomal abnormalities are fairly common and naturally occurring. All men and women carry some eggs and sperm with chromosomal abnormalities, and about 70% of all naturally created embryos have some type of defect and do not survive the first months of pregnancy. But for those of us going through infertility, that can mean failed IVF cycles and a longer wait for your baby – time you may not have.

PGT Overview

Genetic Testing IVF Cycle

Genetic diagnosis and screening, performed during the IVF cycle, identifies any genetic or chromosomal defects that may be present in the embryos before they are implanted.

By evaluating the viability of the embryos before implantation and ruling out any genetic or chromosomal defects, we’re able to select the highest quality embryos with the highest chance of implanting successfully, giving you the greatest chance of a full-term pregnancy and a healthy baby.

For couples who are going through infertility or have a history of miscarriages, chromosomal abnormalities could be a factor and should be ruled out as part of your fertility plan.

(PGT-A) Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy

PGT Fertility treatment icons

Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) can help identify the embryos that are most suitable for transfer during IVF to give you the best chance of implantation and a successful pregnancy.

PGT-A works by determining if the embryo has any extra or missing chromosomes. The percentage of embryos that are abnormal can be affected by many factors, including your age and personal history and that of your partner. As women age, there is a higher risk for the eggs to be missing or have an extra chromosome. Men’s sperm can also be chromosomally abnormal.

This testing is performed after the egg has been fertilized in the lab and has grown for several days. A few cells are removed from each embryo using a microsurgery technique and the DNA collected from the cells is then analyzed. Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy increases pregnancy rates, decreases miscarriage rates, greatly reduces IVF failure rates and reduces the overall time it takes for you get pregnant and have your baby. It also increases the success rate of a single embryo transfer and can reduce the risk of twin pregnancies.

PGT-M - Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic/Single Gene Disorder

PGT-M is a test to look at specific genetic changes in the embryo. It is performed if you or your partner are carriers of the same autosomal recessive condition, are a carrier of a X-Linked condition, have an autosomal dominant condition, have a mutation associated with a hereditary cancer syndrome (BRCA 1&2), or have a child with a single gene disorder.

PGT-M is done in the same way as PGT-A. After the egg has been fertilized in the lab and has grown for several days, a few cells are removed from each embryo using a microsurgery technique. The DNA collected from the cells is then analyzed for that specific genetic change and embryos that carry these changes are identified before they are used to achieve a pregnancy. Testing for PGT-M and PGT-A can be done together.

Gender Selection

Genetic testing DNA diagram

A baby’s sex is determined by the two chromosomes called sex chromosomes. Eggs from the mother carry an X chromosome while sperm from the father carries either an X or a Y chromosome. If a Y chromosome sperm fertilizes the egg, the embryo is a boy (XY). If an X chromosome sperm fertilizes the egg, the embryo is a girl (XX).

Naturally, about half of all children are boys and the half are girls.In order to select the sex of your baby, embryos must be created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and are tested the same way as they are for PGT. This testing is over 99% accurate and is the only reliable way to do gender selection.

Sex Selection Can Be Beneficial For

1. Parents who want Family Balancing. They already have one child or children of one sex and may want to select for a child of the opposite sex.

2. Some inheritable genetic diseases are gender specific. Parents who risk transmitting that disease may want to select the opposite sex to prevent transmission.

3. Parents might feel the need to parent a child of a certain sex for any number of reasons, including previous loss or feeling better equipped to raise a child of that sex.

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