Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a technique that can be used during in vitro fertilization (IVF) to test embryos for a variety of genetic disorders. PGD testing is done before the embryo is transferred to the uterus. This would allow you and your partner to decrease the risk of having a child with a serious inherited disorder.

When is PGD used?

PGD is generally used with couples who have lost pregnancies due to genetic disorders, who already have one child with a genetic problem, or who are carriers of a genetic disease. The procedure may detect Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia A, Tay-Sachs disease, and Turner syndrome, along with other disorders.

PGD is performed in the laboratory by removing a single cell from each embryo. This cell is then analyzed for the presence of genetic disorders. Once a diagnosis is made, which usually takes about a day, only unaffected embryos are transferred back into a woman's uterus.

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