12:31 23rd February 2018 | Illness Prevention

Assisted Conception PGD PGS Gene Mutation IVF Genetic Conditions Advanced Care Treatment

Having a happy, healthy baby who grows into a happy, healthy child is something most people dream about and hope for. Unfortunately, there are conditions and diseases that can get in the way of this dream. However, thanks to two assisted conception methods, babies do not have to inherit certain conditions from their parents and suffer the consequences.

Gene-related Conditions

Medical problems can arise from a harmful gene mutation – a change that occurs in the DNA (genetic sequence). Some of these problems can be inherited, that is, passed on from one or both parents to their children.

Good to Know: Not all genetic problems are hereditary.

Preventing Hereditary Genetic Conditions

Some conditions you cannot predict or prevent, whether inherited from a parent or not. However, there are diseases that could be eliminated before embryo implantation.

The two procedures that enable this option are:

• Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)
• Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS)

If there is a history of genetic disorders in the family, PGD/PGS can offer some peace of mind about the health of future offspring.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis

PGD is a procedure that is performed during in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Essentially, embryos are thoroughly examined, before implantation, to identify and select embryos that do not carry the disease in question. It all starts and ends with IVF, but with an additional procedure in the middle.

Step 1:  Female egg production is boosted.

Step 2:  Eggs are extracted.

Step 3:  Male sperm sample is collected

Step 4:  Egg is fertilised outside the body.

Step 5:  Cells from day 3 or day 5 embryos are biopsied to test for specific genetic conditions.

Step 6:  Healthy embryos are selected and transferred to the uterus for implantation.

At Bridge Clinic we perform day 5 blastocyst biopsies.

Preimplantation Genetic Screening

PGS is another procedure that can be performed during IVF. In this process embryos are thoroughly examined, or screened, for chromosomal abnormalities.

PGD/PGS cannot be performed without IVF, but many couples who opt for IVF do not require PGD/PGS.

Benefits of PGD/PGS 

• Reduced miscarriage rates and incidence of trisomic pregnancies
• Test for hereditary conditions| Click here to view which conditions Bridge Clinic can test for
• Since the procedure is performed before implantation, couples may feel more comfortable about deciding against going ahead with the pregnancy, if results are not favourable
• Couples who did not want to risk passing on a genetic condition can now pursue biological parenthood with more peace of mind
• Where the female partner is under 41 years of age: 50%+ couples, who have two or more normal embryos, will take home a baby on a first IVF-PGD

PGD at Bridge Clinic

We want to help couples with infertility challenges to fulfil their dream of getting pregnant and starting a family of their own, as soon as possible.

PGD and PGS at Bridge Clinic are Advanced Care treatments. To find out more:

1. Visit our website.
2. Send an email to [email protected].
3. Call our national patient centre on 01 631 0092 to set up an appointment with one of our specialists who can advise you on the best way forward.
4. View examples of hereditary conditions HERE.

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If you have any questions, or if you want to book an appointment, please don’t hesitate to get in touch:

Email: [email protected]
Call:    01 631 0092 / +234 (0)1 631 0092
Visit:   66 Oduduwa Way, Ikeja GRA

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