Genetic Testing of embryos is designed to uncover specific genes that could result in a disease or chromosomal abnormalities that could prevent a pregnancy from progressing.
Bourn Hall provides Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and Pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) testing.
PGD is recommended where there is a known genetic condition present in the family, or if a couple have previously had an affected child. It is possible to test embryos produced in IVF for that particular condition, and only replace those that are normal.
PGS is a less specific test, where embryos are checked for basic chromosome abnormalities (such as Down Syndrome). PGS may be performed in older women, who have an increased risk of abnormality, or in cases where there have been a number of miscarriages in the past.
In both PGD and PGS one or more cells are removed from the embryo after 3 or 5 days of culture and sent to a specialist genetics laboratory for testing. The actual embryos remain safely in the laboratory at Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic until the following day when the test results are received. Only healthy, viable, genetically normal embryos are transferred.
