Genetic testing on IVF embryos could help women over the age of 35 conceive sooner, a trial has found.
Discovering defective embryos could help reduce the ’emotional toll’ of repeated IVF cycles by slashing the risk of unsuccessful implantation and miscarriages, researchers suggest.
Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) – which is not currently offered on the NHS – screens embryos for the correct number of chromosomes, 46.
Aneuploidy is a genetic condition in which cells have either too many or too few chromosomes, leading to miscarriages, birth defects and conditions such as Down syndrome.
Women over 35 are at an increased risk for aneuploidy as egg quality declines with age. The trial involved 100 women aged 35 to 42 undergoing fertility treatment at King’s Fertility in London, half of whom were given PGT-A tests.
Researchers found women in the group with PGT-A tests became pregnant in fewer embryo transfers. There was also a higher live birth rate after up to three embryo transfers in the PGT-A group – 72 per cent – compared to 52 per cent in the group not given tests.
Dr Yusuf Beebeejaun, of King’s College London and King’s Fertility, said: ‘The number of women starting their family above the age of 35 is increasing and women in this age group are more likely to create embryos with the wrong number of chromosomes. This increases the risk of unsuccessful implantation and miscarriages.
Genetic testing on IVF embryos could help women over the age of 35 conceive sooner, a trial has found (stock image)
Aneuploidy is a genetic condition in which cells have either too many or too few chromosomes, leading to miscarriages, birth defects and conditions such as Down syndrome (stock image)
‘Our findings suggest that targeted use of PGT-A in this age group could help more women have a baby sooner, while also reducing the emotional toll of repeated unsuccessful cycles.’
Researchers suggest larger trials are now needed to confirm the findings, which have been published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
They conclude that the tests are ‘feasible’ in women over 35, but the focus needs to be on ‘patients over the age of 39, and lowering the threshold for high quality embryos from three to two’ to increase eligibility for the testing.
The study also included mosaic embryos, which contain normal and abnormal cells and are frequently encountered in IVF but rarely included in research.
Dr Sesh Sunkara, of King’s College London and King’s Fertility, added: ‘By focusing exclusively on women aged 35 to 42 and including mosaic embryos, we have addressed questions that previous studies have not adequately explored.’
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