What is Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis?

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis involves testing an embryo before it implants for a specific, known genetic disorder. Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis is used so that embryos unaffected by the disorder can be returned to the uterus. Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis is prescribed for someone who has or is a carrier of a known genetic disorder. While a Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening may be recommended for someone with recurrent miscarriage, someone who is older or whose ovaries do not work as well as expected, or someone with multiple failed fertility treatments.

Without a Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis, embryos would have been chosen based only on their visual quality and morphology, which cannot distinguish chromosomally normal embryos from abnormal embryos. Thus, this aims at improving pregnancy and live birth rates by screening your embryos for chromosomal abnormalities. Couples can identify embryos carrying a genetic disease or chromosomal abnormality, thus avoiding the difficult choice of abortion.