Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is the genetic testing of embryos, sometimes used in assisted reproductive treatments to reduce the risk or avoid transmission of a genetic disease or chromosomal abnormality.
It’s a highly sophisticated scientific technique used to select embryos free of genetic disease or abnormalities before the transfer of the embryos back to the uterus.
The aim of PGD is to maximize the chance of a couple having a successful pregnancy and a healthy child.
Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS and also known as aneuploidy screening) is a technique for testing whether embryos have any problems with their chromosomes, which is thought to be one of the reasons IVF treatment fails.
There’s limited research into whether PGS improves success rates, but it can be recommended to women:
- of older ages
- with repeated IVF failures
- with recurrent miscarriages
- with family histories of genetic diseases