IVF with Genetic and Chromosomal Testing of Embryos Can Improve Chances of Having a Healthy Child
In vitro fertilization (IVF) combined with a procedure called Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) can improve a woman's chances of having a healthy baby when there is a family history of inherited genetic diseases or conditions, or if a patient has experienced miscarriages caused by embryo chromosomal abnormality according to fertility expert Dr. Andrew Levi.
Trumbull, CT (PRWEB) March 20, 2008 -- In vitro fertilization (IVF) combined with a procedure called Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) can improve a woman's chances of having a healthy baby when there is a family history of inherited genetic diseases or conditions, or if a patient has experienced miscarriages caused by embryo chromosomal abnormality.
Embryo biopsy with PGD is a procedure utilized in conjunction with IVF to screen for genetic and/or chromosomal problems before an embryo is selected for uterine implantation. This is also called "pre-pregnancy diagnosis". A number of genetic disorders and/or chromosomal abnormalities can be identified through PGD including Muscular Dystrophy, Hemophilia, Sickle Cell Anemia, Cystic Fibrosis, Tay Sachs, Fragile X Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, Huntington disease and Down syndrome.
"PGD allows us to differentiate abnormal embryos from the normal embryos, so that only normal embryos are transferred to the uterus," said Dr. Andrew Levi," a board certified reproductive endocrinologist and founder of Park Avenue Fertility and Reproductive Medicine in Trumbull, Connecticut. "In select patients, IVF with PGD can significantly decrease miscarriage rates and help women at risk for miscarriage achieve a successful pregnancy."
Dr. Levi reports that the majority of couples who proceed with IVF in conjunction with PGD either have experienced recurrent miscarriages; prior unexplained IVF failures; have conceived with a fetus or child with a chromosome abnormality; or have an identifiable or inheritable genetic medical conditions.
IVF entails stimulation of a woman's ovaries to obtain multiple eggs, subsequent removal of the eggs from the woman's body, fertilization of the eggs with the patient's partner's sperm, and transfer of the fertilized eggs (embryos) back to the woman's uterus. Embryo biopsy with PGD is performed typically three days after fertilization and before embryo transfer.
In general, Dr. Levi recommends that women who don't succeed in getting pregnant after six to twelve months of unprotected intercourse (depending on the patient's age / reproductive age) should strongly consider meeting with a reproductive endocrinologist to discuss their concerns, questions and next possible steps.
About twelve percent of women in the United States experience difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a baby to term according to according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). That same report states that infertility may be caused by female factors (one third of cases); male factors (one third of cases) or a combination of male and female factors. NCHS reports that fertility problems occur for about 33 percent of couples in which the woman is 35 or over.
Women who are thinking about getting pregnant in the near future may want to consider following five important "getting ready for pregnancy" health tips from Dr. Andrew Levi:
| | - Start taking prenatal vitamins prior to trying to conceive
- See your Ob/Gyn annually
- Eat healthy foods everyday and stay within the recommended weight range for your height and body type
- Exercise regularly -- every day for at least 20 minutes is recommended, but no more than four hours per week
- Cut out nicotine, alcohol, and drugs, and be moderate with caffeine intake.
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About Dr. Andrew Levi
Andrew J. Levi, MD, FACOG, is a medical expert in the area of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Dr. Levi is an Assistant Clinical Professor for Yale University and is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and also board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Levi earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Haverford College and received his medical degree from the University of Rochester's School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and completed a three year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National Institutes of Health and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. Dr. Levi lectures at residency training programs, national conferences, obstetric and gynecology societies, and regional and community forums on a variety of infertility topics that include recurrent miscarriage and advanced reproductive techniques such as IVF, ICSI, and PGD. He is the Founder and Medical Director of Park Avenue Fertility and Reproductive Medicine in Trumbull, Connecticut and is affiliated with several Connecticut hospitals including Bridgeport, St. Vincent's Medical Center, Norwalk, and Milford hospitals. He is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Connecticut State Medical Society, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology, Fairfield County Medical Association, International Council of Infertility Information Dissemination, Resolve, and the American Fertility Association
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