What is PRE IMPLANTATION GENETIC DIAGNOSIS
A procedure used prior to implantation, Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) helps identify genetic defects within embryos created through In-Vitro Fertilization to prevent certain diseases or disorders from being passed on to the child.
It is undertaken as a testing process of embryos produced during a treatment cycle for particular genetic disorders before they are transferred to the woman partner’s uterus.
A single gene disorder results from a single mutated gene. According to experts, there are estimated to be over 4000 human diseases caused by single gene defects e.g., Huntington’s disease, Neurofibromatosis, Cystic Fibrosis and Sickle-Cell Anemia.
Currently, PGD is available for virtually all single gene disorders.
HOW THE PROCESS OF PGD WORKS?
Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) starts with the process of In-Vitro Fertilization that includes egg retrieval and fertilization in a laboratory. Once done successfully, then over the next three days the embryo will divide into eight cells.
Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis involves the following steps:
- One or two cells are removed from the embryo.
- Cells are later evaluated to determine if the inheritance of a problematic gene is present in the embryo.
Once the whole of PGD procedure has been performed and embryos free of genetic problems have been identified, then the embryos are placed back in the woman’s uterus, and implantation will be attempted.
All additional embryos free of genetic problems are frozen for later use while embryos with the problematic genes are destroyed.
The benefits of PGD include:
- Provide couples with high-risk of passing-on an inherited disorder to their children with a much-better chance of having an unaffected pregnancy.
- Dramatically reduces the likelihood that an affected fetus will be detected during prenatal testing. This way, it helps decrease the chances of parents facing the difficult decision of whether or not to terminate a pregnancy.
WHO BENEFITS FROM PGD?
Any couple who:
- Know that they are carriers of a serious inherited condition.
- Are infected with a genetic disease with an identified mutation.
