For women who conceive naturally, prenatal screening is usually performed at specific gestational weeks. If fetal abnormalities are detected early, doctors will discuss the findings and formulate an appropriate diagnostic and treatment plan. However, if the abnormalities are severe, the pregnancy may ultimately end in termination.
For couples undergoing IVF, preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) can be performed before embryo transfer to screen for chromosomal abnormalities. This allows embryos with abnormal chromosome numbers to be excluded from transfer, thereby reducing the risk of certain fetal diseases. Amazing, isn’t it?
Who should undergo chromosomal abnormality screening?
In recent years, due to societal trends of late marriage and delayed childbearing, women are having children at older ages. As women age, egg quality declines, which reduces fertility. Poor egg quality increases the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in embryos during IVF, which may lead to lower implantation rates, higher miscarriage risk, or even fetal genetic disorders. According to statistics, women over age 40 have a 58% chance of chromosomal abnormalities in embryos, and for those over 45, the rate increases to 84%.
This is why advanced maternal age is a major risk factor for giving birth to babies with Down syndrome.
Thus, older women are strongly encouraged to undergo chromosomal screening.
In IVF, if a sufficient number of blastocysts are retrieved, doctors may recommend embryo biopsy. A few embryo cells are sampled for PGS screening to check for chromosomal abnormalities.
This prevents the emotional toll of transferring embryos that fail to implant due to chromosomal issues, and significantly reduces the chance of certain genetic disorders. PGT-A (Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy) can help preselect chromosomally healthy embryos, increase implantation success, and make IVF more effective.
Every test serves a specific function. Doctor-recommended prenatal genetic screening through PGS/PGT-A allows for better monitoring of fetal chromosomal health.
Today, IVF has become common, especially for women of advanced age. But for many couples, succeeding in just one IVF cycle is rare.
By incorporating PGS/PGT-A, the best-quality embryos can be selected for transfer, greatly improving the chances of success.
We encourage all women and couples to take advantage of the fertility golden window, consider early egg freezing and chromosomal screening, and make the most of today’s reproductive medical technology to help fulfill family dreams.
