Recurrent Miscarriages

PGD may ease miscarriage risk in older patients. Studies have shown that 90% of miscarriages are due to chromosomal disorders. And it appears that this occurs more often in older women. In younger women, these chromosomal abnormalities occur in about half of all embryos and climbs to an overwhelming 90% in women who are older than 35 years of age. Although repeat pregnancy loss - defined clinically as a minimum of three miscarriages occurring consecutively - may occur due to other causes such as hormonal, anatomic, or immunologic causes. The exact reasons haven't been uncovered in 50% of the cases. Still, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)  may play a big role in at least 50% to 60% of women who suffer from recurrent miscarriages.

PGD, also known as “embryo screening”, is the application of genetic testing on cells obtained from an embryo to determine imbalances in the chromosomes. Only the healthy embryos are transferred to the womb to guarantee a pregnancy of a healthy baby.

There are 2 kinds of PGD for chromosomal testing available at Fakih IVF:

FISH: Testing 5 chromosomes (13, 18, 21, X, Y):
This test is done to check for imbalances in five chromosomes (especially Down syndrome, which is a result of an imbalance in chromosome 21), and chromosome 13 and 18 which are responsible for over 70% of  miscarriages. You can also find out the sex of the embryo if requested.

MICROARRAY: Testing all chromosomes (24 pairs):
This is a new and powerful high-resolution test that can detect imbalances in all chromosomes. It is mainly recommended for patients suffering from recurrent miscarriages, recurrent IVF failures and translocations. The gender of the baby can also be identified.

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