Nkechi and Chinedu’s desire for a family remained unfulfilled despite years of trying and various fertility treatments. A glimmer of hope emerged when they discovered a clinic offering preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) as part of their services. PGT analyzes embryos for genetic abnormalities before implantation, enhancing the chances of a successful pregnancy with a healthy baby. Nkechi and Chinedu, understandably apprehensive about the cost, prioritized their dream of parenthood and bravely opted for PGT.
The PGT process was an emotional odyssey. As they awaited the test results, hope intertwined with anxiety. Positive news – healthy embryos for implantation – brought immense joy, a sense of vindication for their perseverance. The implantation, followed by a pregnancy confirmation, filled them with overwhelming gratitude for PGT’s role in their journey. The past challenges paled in comparison to the exhilaration of impending parenthood.
Nkechi and Chinedu’s story exemplifies the transformative power of PGT. It empowers couples facing infertility to build their families, fostering hope and immeasurable joy. The story of Nkechi and Chinedu beautifully portrays the emotional rollercoaster and ultimate success a couple can experience with PGT. Their journey highlights the challenges of infertility, the hope PGT offers, and the joy of parenthood it can help achieve.
Like Nkechi and Chinedu, Gbenga and Lola, both 38, grappled with infertility for years. Multiple miscarriages brought heartbreak and frustration. Tests revealed Lola carried a balanced translocation, increasing miscarriage risk. Their doctor recommended PGT-A (Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy). Following IVF, a biopsy on the embryos allowed PGT-A to identify healthy ones free of chromosomal abnormalities. Implantation of a healthy embryo led to a successful pregnancy and the birth of their healthy son, David.
Genetic counseling supported Gbenga and Lola throughout this process. They learned about PGT-A’s benefits and limitations, managing their expectations. Joining a support group for infertile couples provided emotional comfort and a sense of belonging. After the birth of their child, the couple maximized the benefits of PGT-A by using the remaining tested embryos in a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle, a less invasive procedure compared to a full IVF cycle. This FET cycle resulted in the birth of their daughter, Esther completing their family. The role of PGT in the fertility journey of the two couples was invaluable, and the proud parents are grateful for the opportunity given them to fulfil their parenthood dreams.
The stories of Nkechi and Chinedu, and Gbenga and Lola, highlight several key takeaways for couples considering PGT. Both couples faced infertility struggles, but PGT offered renewed hope for a successful pregnancy. It highlights the importance of genetic counseling: Understanding PGT-A’s benefits, limitations, and managing expectations through genetic counseling is crucial. Connecting with others on a similar journey through support groups can provide emotional comfort and a sense of community.
The genetic screening of embryos prior to implantation aims to identify and subsequently diagnose genetic defects. This serves two purposes: to prevent certain diseases or disorders from being passed on to the child, and to avoid a possible miscarriage of the child with a genetic defect. Embryos found to be free of defects would then be selected for uterine transfer in order to initiate a pregnancy. This technique is a supplement to prenatal diagnosis, which is performed during pregnancy and does not allow for direct genetic treatment of the fetus.
There is no doubt that PGT is an incredible technological advancement in the field of fertility, with the purpose to prevent genetic diseases within families who are at risk of passing such diseases to their offspring. How this is to be done is through the screening of an embryo which is created through in vitro fertilization. The screening takes place approximately 5 days after the egg has been fertilized. It will then be tested for whatever genetic diseases the family wishes, or whatever the physician recommends. It can be conducted to test for a wide range of genetic diseases.
This can be anything from sickle cell anemia to cystic fibrosis, and many others. If a given embryo is found to be a carrier of the disease, there are several different options the parents can take from that point. They can choose to keep the embryo and bear the possible risk of having a baby with the said genetic disease. They can also choose to halt the pregnancy.
PGT empowers couples facing infertility to overcome challenges and achieve their dream of parenthood. The advantages are numerous compared to traditional prenatal testing. Traditional prenatal testing can lead to difficult decisions about whether to continue the pregnancy, since a couple may be unaware of how severe the disorder may be for their child. It occasionally means that a pregnancy is terminated that might have produced a healthy child, since gene status and effects on the child can be difficult to predict. PGT can prevent the occurrence of these situations in two ways.
The first way is when a couple knows they are at risk for having a child affected with a specific genetic disorder, they can use PGT to determine if the embryo is affected prior to initiating a pregnancy. A normal embryo would be selected for transfer. The second way applies to a couple who is already known to be carriers of a genetic disease. In some situations, it is possible to generate embryos that are unaffected by the disorder, and these would be used to initiate a pregnancy. In both cases, PGT helps ensure the couple will have a healthy child.
