Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, or PGD, is new diagnostic procedure that is used as part of the IVF process to insure that the embryos we place in your uterus are free of genetic or chromosomal abnormalities. Contributing to your peace of mind, this testing enhances our ability to choose embryos that have the best chance of success, avoiding miscarriage and some birth defects.

You may benefit most from this procedure if you are a woman over the age of 35, if you have had several failed IVF cycles or have suffered from recurrent pregnancy loss. During human reproduction, it is not unusual to produce embryos that have too few or too many chromosomes, the sub-cellular structures that house one’s genes. For example, Down syndrome results from having 3 copies instead of 2 copies of chromosome 21. PGD is most commonly used to screen embryos for that type of problem. This is known as aneuploidy screening.

This testing is not performed to eliminate birth defects, although that can be a result. The main reason is to optimize the selection for implantation. Embryos with too few or too many chromosomes are less likely to implant than normal embryos, and those that do almost always miscarry.

For couples whose family history presents a risk passing on a genetic condition such as cystic fibrosis, a different type of PGD can be done to screen for a single gene abnormality. This requires the same specimen, an embryonic cell, but requires a different analysis. With this screening, you may be able to remove a tragic gene mutation, even the BRCA breast cancer gene, from your family tree.