How PGT-A helps with embryo selection in IVF

If you need IVF, you are likely crossing your fingers that your cycle will produce a large number of embryos. While it’s true that more is often better, it only takes one good embryo to make a baby. The trick is figuring out which one is the best one to transfer. Thanks to advances in preimplantation genetic testing, or PGT, we now have tools that reveal which embryos are “most likely to succeed.” One of these tests is PGT-A, which checks embryos for a normal chromosome count. Today, people can find PGT in New Braunfels at Texas Fertility Center, where we bring state-of-the-art technology to IVF.

 How does PGT-A work?

If you choose to add PGT-A to your IVF cycle, your embryos will be biopsied to remove a few sample cells. These cells are sent to a specialized genetics laboratory for analysis, and your embryos will be safely cryopreserved and stored while we wait for the results.

If you’re worried that your embryos might be damaged in the biopsy process, don’t be. The sample cells are taken only from the outer layer of cells in the embryo, which would become the placenta, not the fetus. The biopsy is performed by skilled embryologists using state-of-the-art technology, so the procedure is very safe.

Using these samples, specialists at the genetics lab essentially count the number of chromosomes within each embryo’s cells. A normal human embryo cell has 46 chromosomes, with 23 coming from each parent.

An embryo with the normal number of chromosomes is called euploid, while an embryo whose cells are missing chromosomes, or that have extra chromosomes, is abnormal, or aneuploid. In some cases, embryos have a mix of both aneuploid and euploid cells, a condition known as mosaicism.

Because this test analyzes chromosomes, it can also tell you the sex of each embryo, if you wish to know.

How does preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy help?

Roughly 40% to 60% of human embryos are abnormal, and that number increases to about 80% for women who are 40 or older. Embryos that have a normal chromosome count in all of their sample cells are much more likely to implant in the uterus, develop normally, and grow into healthy babies. A transfer of an embryo with aneuploid or mosaic cells often ends in a negative pregnancy test or miscarriage.

Aneuploid embryos that turn into an ongoing pregnancy can result in the birth of a child with a chromosome disorder, such as Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, trisomy 18 or Klinefelter syndrome. Such disorders cause lifelong physical or intellectual disabilities and other challenges in affected children.

Other types of preimplantation genetic testing are also available that can look deeper into an embryo’s genetic code. All of these types of tests are designed to help us select an embryo to transfer that is free of chromosomal abnormalities or other genetic defects, increasing the chance of a successful IVF cycle.

Why we recommend this test in certain cases

We may recommend PGT-A in cases in which a woman or couple is at high risk of creating embryos that have chromosomal defects.

• Women age 35 or older
• Previous failed IVF cycles
• Recurrent miscarriages
• Family history of chromosome disorders
• Genetic screening results indicating higher risk of chromosome abnormalities in children
• Older men with a higher risk for producing chromosomally abnormal sperm

Find PGT in New Braunfels

Texas Fertility Center New Braunfels gives our patients access to state-of-the-art preimplantation genetic testing, closer to home. If you are looking to find PGT in New Braunfels, we can help. Contact us to make an appointment to learn more about PGT-A.