What is preimplantation genetic diagnosis?
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) involves genetically testing an embryo in a laboratory. In order to achieve this, couples have in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment followed by an additional genetic testing stage. The embryo is grown in the laboratory for a couple of days until the cells have divided and the embryo consists of eight cells. At this time a specially trained embryologist will remove one or two of the cells. The cells can then be tested to see if the embryo from which they were removed contains the faulty gene that causes the condition in the family. One or two of the embryos without a copy of the faulty gene can be placed into the woman in the hope that they will develop. Any remaining unaffected embryos can be stored for later use as required. Those embryos that had a copy of the faulty gene are allowed to perish.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can tell whether a human embryo, in its earliest stage, has or carries a particular genetic illness. It can detect a specific disease-causing mutation within embryos in the laboratory, enabling doctors to select which if any embryo/s to transfer to the womb to start a pregnancy. To achieve this, couples have in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment followed by an additional genetic testing stage. PGD is a very specialised technique and unlike prenatal diagnosis (PND), does not test an established embryo/foetus in the womb but tests embryos when they are clusters of a few cells in the laboratory. It can help couples at risk of having a child with a genetic condition who wish to avoid doing so, long before the stage where termination of a pregnancy might otherwise be considered. The choices facing families affected by CGD Individuals and families affected by CGD, and other genetic conditions, face difficult decisions when considering having children.
During the early stages of embryo development, cells from your embryos are analyzed for genetic abnormalities. By detecting gene problems before implantation, unhealthy or defective embryos can be discarded, allowing only healthy embryos to be implanted during fertility treatments. Who Uses Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis? Preimplantation genetic diagnosis is still a fairly new fertility treatment. It is only available in large fertility clinics and is offered to couples with a history of genetic disorders and other life-threatening diseases. Many couples are reluctant to give birth to a child for fear of passing on a dangerous genetic defect. Genetic disorders can often impact greatly on a person’s life, causing physical and emotional pain, developmental problems, and even death. PGD is intended to help prevent a couple from passing on these genetic defects to their child. In particular, couples who pursue PGD testing tend to fall into one of three categories: • Those with a single
