Pros and Cons of Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy

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The Pros and Cons of Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (PGT-A)  

May 21, 2020

Pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) is an "add on" used in IVF to help choose embryos with the right number of chromosomes. Depending on your circumstances, the technique will have different pros and cons. 


Pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) is an "add on" used in IVF to help choose embryos with the right number of chromosomes. Depending on your circumstances, the technique will have different pros and cons. For example, if you're a woman aged over 36, it can reduce the risk of miscarriage, but regardless of your age, it does not improve your overall chance of having a baby. PGT-A is also known as pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS). This brochure will help you understand what's involved and whether it is worth paying for.

Here we describe the most common PGT-A technique. Some clinics are now offering a less invasive technique where, rather than removing cells from the embryo, they test the fluid that the embryo is grown in to determine if the embryo has the right number of chromosomes. Publications with information about how well this test performs are pending.

Understanding the Chromosomal Makeup of Embryos

Each cell in the human body contains packages of genes called chromosomes. Normal cells have 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs (half from each parent). Females have two X chromosomes, and males have one X and one Y chromosome in all their cells.

Embryos are called euploid if they have the right number of chromosomes and aneuploid if they have extra or missing chromosomes. An aneuploid embryo is unlikely to implant and if it does implant, there is a high risk of miscarriage or serious health problems if a baby is born.

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