Advantages of Genetic Testing

Are you afraid to have children with a genetic disease?  Do you want to achieve family balancing after you have 2 boys/girls?

What is the solution? Read the below to know how genetic testing can help you?

Genetic testing is gaining recognition for the many advantages it has to offer in the prevention, management and treatment of disease. It can provide a wealth of information about each embryo before transferring to the uterus.

During an IVF cycle when the egg and sperm have fertilized to form an embryo, a few cells are taken from the embryo to be tested in the Genetics Laboratory. The Embryo Transfer takes place after the results of the genetic test are released.

There are many benefits when we do genetic testing, so we can achieve:

Family balancing (gender selection): screen your embryos to identify the gender and check for chromosomal abnormality such as Down syndrome.

-Comprehensive Chromosomal screening (CCS): Screen all 24 chromosomes for gender as well as any chromosomal abnormalities caused by missing or additional chromosomes. Chromosomal abnormalities include Trisomy 13 (Patau’s syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edward’s syndrome) and Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). Chromosomal abnormalities are the leading cause of miscarriage.

– Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) for hereditary disease or Single gene disorders: Assess embryos for hereditary diseases, allowing parents with a known hereditary (genetic) disease to ensure their children do not have that genetic condition.

– HLA matching – curing a family member: Cure a family member suffering from a hereditary disease curable by bone marrow transplant by identifying an HLA Match during IVF.

– Identify & Prevent Hereditary Disease, that It can be detected in 3 methods: Mutation Screening by Sanger Sequencing, exome Screening by Next Generation Sequencing, premarital or Preconception Screening.

Genetic testing is not limited to IVF, if pregnant there are two genetic testing services that you can do. The first one is Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis (NIPD) to Screen for Trisomy 13, 18 or 21 (Down Syndrome) and identify the gender of your fetus through a non-invasive blood test at 10 weeks.

The second one is products of Conception (POC) to help identify the cause of pregnancy loss and improve management of future pregnancies.

Fakih IVF Fertility Center is the only IVF center in the Middle East with a Genetics Laboratory, it is the only Genetics Laboratory in the UAE capable of performing Genetic Testing on embryos.