Chromosome Screening
Comprehensive Chromosome Screening is a technique used in parallel with IVF treatment to select embryos with the right number of chromosomes. After in vitro fertilization, a small number of cells from each embryo are biopsied and sent to the genetics lab for testing.
The purpose of chromosome screening is to analyze, select and transfer only embryos that have the normal number of chromosomes. It is known that aneuploidy – any embryo with too many or too few chromosomes – is the cause of over 60% of miscarriages and a most likely reason for failure to achieve pregnancy during an IVF cycle.
Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS), also known as aneuploidy screening, using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is widely used to select competent embryos, free of chromosome abnormalities, for embryo transfer. This embryo selection improves clinical outcomes by achieving a higher implantation rate and a reduction in miscarriage rates.
Who is suitable for Comprehensive Chromosome Screening?
- Women 35 years of age or older
- Women with a history of repeated miscarriage
- Women with a previous pregnancy involving a chromosome abnormality
- Woman who have had multiple failed IVF cycles or implantation failure
How is it done?
- Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) is the latest technology testing the genetic status of all 23 pairs chromosomes and sex chromosome at a comprehensive level and with high resolution. NGS provides the ability to screen embryos from chromosomes errors such as Down syndrome and other similar aneuploidy conditions.
Chromosomes come in pairs. Normally, each cell in the human body has 23 pairs of chromosomes (46 total chromosomes). Half come from the mother; the other half come from the father.. Females have 2 X chromosomes and males have 1 X and 1 Y chromosome.. The mother can only contribute X chromosome to the child, while the father may contribute an X or a Y.
The remaining chromosomes are called autosomal chromosomes. They are known as chromosome pairs 1 through 22.