About PGS
PGS stands for Preimplantation Genetic Screening.
PGS testing is a genetic study of the embryos produced during patients’ IVF cycle which has a goal of helping them have a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby.
PGS is a preventative measure used to identify chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo, even if there’s no known evidence of a genetic abnormality in either parent. The procedure screens for chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21), as well as abnormalities in chromosome position (translocations).
PGS may help to:
– Reduce the chance of having a miscarriage
– Reduce the risk of an abnormal pregnancy
– Reduce the time and cost to achieve a healthy baby by helping choose the best embryo(s) to transfer
– Reduce the risks associated with the transfer of multiple embryos at a time
PGS with NGS
Every decade or so a reproductive technology comes along that revolutionizes infertility treatment. PGS by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is one such technology. PGS with NGS is a highly consistent platform and is the future of genetic and embryo screening.
Effect of PGS
The result of PGS is shown in the figure above.
Those under the age of 38 have a 14% higher pregnancy rate in addition to normal IVF.
In addition, the average pregnancy rate in IVF for persons 38 years and older is 33.3%, and the use of PGS has more than doubled to 66.7%.