Are you the couple who has to benefit from IVF techniques to be parents?

We wish you all the very best in your journey and, at the same time, urge you to go through this article to make an informed decision about whether you want to get it right in the first attempt of the IVF Cycle itself or are you willing to take the risk of a failed attempt.

In this article, you will know how you can increase your chances of a successful IVF cycle in the first attempt itself. This is ensured by screening the embryo that is selected for implantation. This screening process is Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), also known as preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A).

We will also inform you about the risk involved with PGT-A to assist your decision-making.

Dr. Hrishikesh Pai, a doctor par excellence, is an IVF specialist and runs his IVF center under the name of Babies and Us. You can avail his consultancy and also the facility of Preimplantation genetic testing in Mumbai itself.

What is PGS / PGT-A?

A normal DNA of the Human cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes. That is 23 chromosomes from the mother and 23 chromosomes from the father. If the cell lacks even 1 chromosome from either side, the embryo is abnormal and can have implications on conception (a possible miscarriage) and the baby born. The baby is likely to be born abnormal. All of these are very serious matters and can have a tremendous effect on the quality of your and your ward’s life.

PROS of PGS/PGT-A testing

1. More accurate embryo selection

The purpose of PGS is to increase the chances that the embryo(s) you choose will result in a healthy pregnancy that can carry the term to a healthy baby. It reduces the chance of a miscarriage. Because the embryo quality is pre-tested, the certainty of a retained pregnancy increases, thereby reducing the time taken to get pregnant and repeated implant procedures.

2. Gender discrimination (if desired)

Although sex determination is banned in some countries, PGT-A/PGS allows you to pick the gender of your child if you are looking to balance your family with children of both genders. A decision like this is permitted under exceptional circumstances.

• You may prefer to have a child of a particular gender for various reasons.
• You’re more suited to raising one gender than the other.
• You want to build a balanced family with children of both genders.
• You may prefer a child of the same gender that you may have lost for some tragic reason.
• Either of you has a condition that is likely to pass down to a particular gender and wants to avoid that scenario.

3. Prevent unknown anomalies from being passed down through the generations.

PGS/PGT-A checks for abnormal chromosome sets and allows the rejection of an embryo that does not have 23 pairs. This test is not done to check for genetic diseases.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a better alternative for you if one or both intended parents have a known genetic disease such as cystic fibrosis.

4. Financial stress is lessened

PGS testing can be an additional cost. Nonetheless, the technique allows you to see which embryos are worth implanting and storing.

5. There is less uncertainty.

AN IVF procedure carried out without a PGS does tend to cause unnecessary duress to the couple regarding the uncertainty of retaining the pregnancy. This stress is easily avoidable by selecting the embryo that has tested normal.

6. Find out what fertility treatments are available.

You should expect genetically defective embryos if you have PGS, which means your fertility specialist won’t be able to place them in the uterus. The doctors will devise a plan of action based on your test results in such cases to get you back on track to a healthy baby via a suitable treatment for you.

Cons of PGS:

1. Extra time and expenses.

IVF is a time-consuming and costly operation.

PGS/PGT-A testing costs depend on the fertility clinic and from patient to patient. Treatment costs can be influenced by several factors, including:

• The total number of IVF cycles required, which includes egg retrievals, fertilization, testing, and transfers.
• The total number of embryos examined
• The genetic disease’s inheritance pattern
• Furthermore, if your fertility clinic does not have an in-house testing facility, you will be spending a lot more money and time getting it tested in an outside facility.

2. Unable to identify the exact conditions that exist.

The embryo sent for testing only gets tested for normalcy in chromosomal pairing and not for genetic disorders. So there is every chance that the embryo that gets transferred to the uterus may carry your congenital disease.

3. There are no promises or guarantees.

Remember, the test is done to select the best embryo of the lot present. There are still chances that the pregnancy may not take place.

And because only a few cells are tested, there is a small scope of error.

PGT-A can drastically boost pregnancy rates in people over the age of 37. Still, for women under the age of 37, this may not make a significant difference in their chances of getting pregnant.

4. The procedure’s invasiveness.

Even if the examined embryos are OK, harm can occur during the biopsy and freezing process. By doing the biopsy on day five embryos rather than day three embryos, the danger of a damaged embryo has decreased dramatically in recent years. PGS is now less likely to have a negative impact on the viability of your embryo as a result of this recent improvement.

PGS/PGT-A/PGD does not harm the embryo if done correctly. Hence you can have a successful IVF embryo transfer after this procedure.