Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT)

What is Preimplantation Genetic Testing?

Preimplantation genetic testing helps in identifying defects of genetics in the embryos. PGT has become an integral part of Assisted Reproductive Technology. With this test, doctors diagnose if there is any genetic disease in the person. It helps to avoid the passing of any genetic condition to the child.

Only unaffected embryos are allowed to transfer for implantation in the uterus. It is to be remembered that negative PGT tests don’t guarantee that the newborn will take birth with zero birth defects.

Everything You Need to Know About Preimplantation Genetic Testing

Difference between PGD and PGS | Advantage PGD | Disadvantages PGD | PGS For Me | PGD and PGS Safe

Difference Between PGD And PGS

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) helps to determine if the baby to be born of the embryo is also carrying the genetic abnormalities that are running in the family. It applies to situations where parents have a known genetic abnormality. If a family has a history of muscular dystrophy, sickle cell anemia, and cystic fibrosis, doctors recommend this test for them.

A PGD is done to check for a genetic condition in an embryo when it is known that both or one genetic parent has some genetic abnormality.

Whereas, Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) applies to the couple with normal genes, but the embryo has a chromosomal abnormality. It is done to screen the embryo in order to check if there’s any genetic abnormality in an embryo before the transfer.

Preimplantation genetic testing involves the following steps:

It starts with the process of in vitro fertilization. In a laboratory, egg retrieval and fertilization will be done. The cell division of the embryos will start within the next three to five days. After this,

1. The doctor removes a few cells from the embryo by laser biopsy and then freezes the embryos.
2. After this, they evaluate the cells for determining the inheritance of a problematic gene in the embryo. It takes ten to twenty days.
3. After the identification of genetic problems free embryo, the doctors will place it in the uterus.
4. They freeze and keep the healthy embryos for the later pregnancy. It takes some weeks. It can take several weeks for getting the final results.

Sub Treatments For IVF

What are the Advantages of preimplantation genetic diagnosis?

There are some advantages of PGD which include the following.:

1. With the test of PGD, doctors can detect hundreds of abnormal conditions of the gene. They can offer this to families with a history of single genetic defects which include sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy.
2. The doctor performs this procedure before transferring and implanting the embryo and allows the couple to think about the pregnancy.
3. It increases the chances of a healthy pregnancy by screening and diagnosing all kinds of genetic abnormalities.

What are the Disadvantages of PGD?

1. PGD cannot remove the risk of conceiving a child with the genetic disorder completely, but it can only reduce the risk.
2. With some genetic diseases, the carrier can develop the symptoms in their middle age. Then you need to discuss it with your doctor or physician.

Is PGS Right for me?

The doctors recommend this test for the parents who have no abnormalities in the gene. The other conditions are that the age of the woman needs to be thirty-eight years or more, the couple must be interested in transferring a single embryo and have a history of failed IVF or miscarriage or failed implementation. In such cases, the doctor may recommend PGS to you.

Is embryo biopsy, PGD, and PGS safe?

If you want to know about the safety of PGD, embryo biopsy, and PGS, the answer is yes. According to the result of PGD in animals and several human live births, PGD has no record of increasing birth defects. The alteration between the removal of trophectoderm cells of the early embryo and the development of the embryo’s ability into normal pregnancy is not possible.

You need to take or consult a genetic counsellor or doctor if you are considering testing PGD.

Our Expert Team