For prospective parents who carry genes for certain inherited genetic disorders, the potential of passing those vulnerabilities to their children can be daunting. At the University of Michigan Health Center for Reproductive Medicine, we offer a cutting-edge procedure called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to identify genetic disorders in embryos, and then implant the unaffected embryos using in vitro fertilization.
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis is performed when one or both genetic parents have a known genetic abnormality. Testing is performed on an embryo to determine if it also carries the genetic abnormality. This allows us to detect genetic diseases before pregnancy.
This procedure is used to look for DNA-testable disorders with significant morbidities in which quality of life is dramatically affected, including:
- Cystic fibrosis
- Beta-thalassemia
- Sickle cell disease
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- Myotonic dystrophy
- Huntington’s disease
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
- Fragile x syndrome
- Hemophilia A
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy
To determine if you and your partner are candidates for the procedure, you will meet with our genetic counselor to discuss both your case and your options. All the testing performed for in vitro fertilization, including blood tests and ultrasound will be scheduled. You will also require hormone treatment to control your egg production.
During the process, embryos are created using in vitro fertilization, where eggs and sperm are brought together in a laboratory glass dish to allow the sperm to fertilize an egg. On the third day — when the embryos reach the six- to eight-cell stage — a biopsy is performed to remove one or two cells and determine whether they carry the genetic abnormality. Embryos that are found to not carry the genetic defect are then transferred to the womb. Just over a week later, a pregnancy test will be conducted.
Pregnancy is not guaranteed and depends on a variety of factors including your age and the number/quality of your embryos.
Because of our strong medical genetics program, our center is well situated to offer Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis services to our patients in a timely and efficient manner.
Schedule an Appointment
Schedule an appointment by calling us at 734-763-6295.