Are there any risks associated with PGD (Preimplantation Diagnosis)? Do most patients have this screening done?
For readers not familiar with this technology, PGD is a procedure used to detect genetic or chromosomal abnormalities in embryos created during an IVF cycle by removing and testing a cell from the embryo on day three of development. Two days later, only a few normal embryos are transferred. In 2002, Fertility Centers of IL (FCI) completed approximately 180 cases of PGD and in 2003 that number rose to over 280 cases. Overall, approximately 10 percent of the patients we see do PGD, but it clearly depends on the age of the woman. The most common reasons to consider doing PGD is if a woman has a strong history of miscarriages, or if she is over 39 years old. A much larger percentage of women over 40 will do PGD compared to younger women. Aneuploidy (an abnormal number of chromosomes) increases significantly with age, thereby increasing conditions such as Down syndrome and miscarriages.
Related Questions
- Does Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis - PGD eliminate the need for amniocentesis and other prenatal screening?
- Are there any risks associated with PGD (Preimplantation Diagnosis)? Do most patients have this screening done?
- How often is pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) or pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) carried out?
