ABC News recently reported on the societal implications of a pre-implantation genetic diagnosis procedure now being allowed in Germany. This procedure is also available at the IVF New Jersey Fertility Center, which offers insight as to its benefits.

(PRWEB) February 26, 2013

While pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is not practiced in many countries, it is a fairly common and frequently successful procedure in the United States. Its a type of prenatal genetic testing that is nonetheless innovative, providing valuable information for parents-to-be. By screening embryos for genetic abnormalities prior to the embryo attaching to the uterus, couples are increasing the chance of a successful pregnancy and decrease the risk of passing certain genetic diseases to their children.

The list of more than 30 diseases that preimplantation genetic diagnosis/genetic testing can detect at IVF New Jersey is continually evolving, and includes the following: Adenosine deaminase deficiency, Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, Alpers Syndrome, Cystic fibrosis, Gauchers disease, Hemophilia A and B, Huntingtons disease, Muscular dystrophy (Duchenne and Becker), Sickle cell disease, Spinal muscular atrophy, Tay Sachs disease.

At IVF New Jersey Fertility Center, the PGD procedure begins with in vitro fertilization (IVF), using hormones to stimulate the growth and recovery of multiple eggs from the ovaries in order to form several embryos for evaluation by PGD, thus increasing the chances of finding normal or unaffected embryos for transferring back to the uterus. From that point, the process of evaluation of these embryos by PGD takes place in a laboratory and requires a biopsy at one of the two developmental stages (cleaved embryo, three days after fertilization or blastocyst, five to six days after fertilization). The stage of the embryo is determined on a case-by-case basis.

The embryo biopsy is performed under microscopic guidance using a pipette to gently aspirate the embryonic cells and an opening is made in the shell surrounding the embryo allowing access to the dividing cells. The goal is to obtain enough cellular material to carry on the PGD analysis without harming the embryo and only embryos with normal biopsy results are used for transfer/implantation.

PGD was developed to check for genetic and chromosomal abnormalities that would cause miscarriages, birth defects or fatal illnesses, and the list of diseases that pre-implantation genetic testing can detect is consistently growing at IVF New Jersey. While PGD increases couples chances of having a healthy offspring, experts at IVF New Jersey recommend that patients get confirmatory genetic testing during pregnancy like CVS or amniocentesis to ensure their child is free of other conditions.

Women and couples are encouraged to visit http://www.ivfnj.com to learn more about PGD and the fertility center.

About IVF New Jersey Fertility Center:

IVF New Jersey Fertility Center was founded in 1990 with the goal of creating a fertility practice that combines the best of big-city medicine with the personalized care of a private setting. For the past 22 years, IVF NJ has helped bring thousands of babies to couples in the metropolitan region and throughout the world. IVF NJs unique cutting-edge facilities allow the physicians to perform all standard (delete) fertility diagnostic and treatment procedures under one roof, all in a comfortable, private, non-hospital setting. IVF NJ is one of the largest fertility centers in the nation with some of the highest success rates in the U.S. according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). For more information visit http://www.ivfnj.com.

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IVF New Jersey Fertility Center Offering Sought-After Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis Tests

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