Originally published October 20 2005
New screening technique could reduce miscarriages
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Aneuploidy screening is the new technique of removing a cell from an embryo to check for aneuploidy, a set of disorders that can result in miscarriage, Down’s syndrome and other conditions.
THOUSANDS of childless British couples could greatly improve their chances of having a baby if a test that weeds out faulty embryos were carried out, scientists said yesterday.
Such screening would benefit many more women than has generally been thought, according to research that suggests its routine use could transform IVF success rates while preventing risky twin and triplet births.
The procedure, known as aneuploidy screening, is already available at eight clinics in Britain, but is officially recommended only for women aged over 35 or who have already endured multiple miscarriages or failed IVF attempts.
Three American studies, however, have now found compelling evidence that it could also help younger women and newcomers to fertility treatment, as their embryos are almost as susceptible to the defects it is designed to root out.
The screening technique works by removing a single cell from a three-day-old embryo and checking it for aneuploidy, a set of disorders in which an abnormal number of chromosomes triggers miscarriage or genetic conditions such as Down's syndrome.
Jeffrey Nelson, of the Huntington Reproductive Centre in Pasadena, California, who led one of the studies, said the HFEA guidelines were too strict.
"Just the fact that we are seeing young women have a high rate of abnormalities suggests that we should be using the technique more," he said.
Dr Nelson's research found that 42 per cent of the eggs collected at his clinic from young donors, with an average age of 25, generated aneuploid embryos.
A third study, led by Zsolt Peter Nagy, of Reproductive Biology Associates in Atlanta, found that two thirds of the embryos were abnormal in IVF patients under 35.
It costs about £2,500 on top of regular IVF costs and is not generally available on the NHS.
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