Saving Your Baby
Couples who struggle to conceive naturally turn to other options such as fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, IVF can sometimes cause unwanted consequences such as failed IVF cycles or pregnancy loss. To prevent this outcome, doctors recommend an additional step to IVF which is called preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). This step has helped many couples from pregnancy loss or failed IVF cycles.

Incorporating PGT during IVF
IVF involves fertilizing a woman’s eggs with the sperm in the lab and implanting the embryo into the uterus. Once embryos are formed, PGT is carried out before transfer and implantation. PGT helps to make sure the embryo does not carry any abnormal chromosomes or genetics.
IVF and PGT
After the embryos are created after fertilization, the embryo reaches a blastocyst stage. During this stage, the cells from the embryo are taken out and sent for biopsy and further genetic analysis. During this process of PGT, the embryo is stored frozen in the laboratory. After 1-2 weeks of biopsy, the results are made available.
Do IVF and PGT prevent pregnancy loss?
During the process of IVF, aneuploidy can occur, resulting in a derailed pregnancy. Aneuploidy is when the embryo has an extra or missing chromosome. However, PGT during IVF can help to prevent another pregnancy loss. A study has found that preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) favored clinical outcomes. PGT-A also showed a reduced pregnancy loss rate and pregnancies with abnormal genetics.
Are you eligible for PGT?
For every couple going through IVF, the healthcare specialist will discuss if the need of PGT is required. This screening test is for women more than 37 years old or women with a history of recurrent miscarriages. Couples with a family history of genetic disease may also be considered for this screening test.
Various types of PGT
Besides PGT-A, other types of PGT exist. These include PGT-M, which is pregenetic implantation testing for monogenic disorders, and PGT-SR, which is pregenetic implantation testing for structural rearrangements. PGT-M is done for couples with a genetic disorder who wish to prevent passing on the disease to the baby. PGT-SR is performed in couples with known chromosomal translocations. Every PGT helps to prevent unwanted pregnancy, failed IVF cycles, and pregnancy loss.
A healthy pregnancy and baby
Older women have higher chances of having a baby with a genetic disorder are high. With a normal pregnancy, one can go through carrier screening tests. For couples going through IVF, PGT helps determine any chromosomal abnormalities that a child may carry. This leads to preventing another pregnancy loss or failed IVF cycles. Speak to the healthcare specialist about PGT and the efficacy of the results.