Preimplantation Genetic Testing

If you or your unborn baby may be at risk of certain genetic disorders or abnormalities that increase the risk of miscarriage or you worry about passing along an inheritable disease to your child, the Fertility & Reproductive Medicine Center can help.

We understand that genetic testing can be an emotional experience. Our doctors support you through the process and help you decide what’s right for you and your family.

Prepregnancy Genetic Testing Services

Recent technological advances have made it possible to test embryos for genetic abnormalities before transfer to the uterus during an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. We can:

Test for specific, single gene disorders (such as cystic fibrosis) to help you avoid passing on an inheritable disease
Screen embryos for extra or missing chromosomes (such as in Down syndrome), which can help prevent early miscarriages

Typically, our specialists grow embryos for five or six days before obtaining a biopsy that can be tested. After biopsy, we immediately cryopreserve (freeze) the embryos for transfer during a later IVF cycle after you receive the results.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)

This test can accurately determine whether an embryo is carrying a specific gene disorder that can cause an inheritable disease. If you or your partner know or suspect that you may carry a gene for an inheritable disease, we can work with both of you.

With the help of an outside genetics lab, we design a personalized DNA test. With this test, we can make an accurate diagnosis to identify which embryos are carrying the disease.