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Thursday 3 October 2013

Scientists develop new method of genetically screening IVF embryos to improve pregnancy rates -




It’s often said the most painful thing about pregnancy is not being able to get pregnant in the first place and from personal experience, that couldn’t be more true. Now, hope may be out there for so many more women than there has ever been before. New developments with the process of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) mean that embryos can be pre screened for generic deficits.

It’s suggested that currently the outcome of IVF is largely inconsistent and only successful with 1 in 3 cases on average. Research suggests almost 80% of embryos fail due to undetected deficits. Scientists claim these pre screening tools may increase conception rates by up to 50% from current stats.
Known as next-generation sequencing (NGS), the technology is capable of quickly scanning the embryo. According to the U.K.'s Independent, machines that utilize NGS they can scan millions of strands of DNA from a single cell taken from an embryo.

For me personally, it’s a subject that can’t be any closer to my heart and completely represents the stage of my life I’m currently living. I’m undergoing investigations and tests for IVF at the moment and my biggest fear is what if it doesn’t work? What if I can’t ever have a baby of my own? For me it would fill a void. I often see mums out with their babies and I long for that to be me one day and soon.

I’m not saying it’s the answer to everything and by no means am I saying it guarantees success, sadly there will still be times where the procedure proves unsuccessful, and there may even be times where the IVF process may not be possible to try in the first place. I have to go for further tests before they are able to day it’s definitely an option for me. If pregnancy wasn’t a big deal on its own, having to go through the process of IVF adds extra pressure and doesn’t come without its risks. So any developments that offer greater chances for conception and addressing any potential irregularities is a bonus in my eyes.