Examination required for IVF
IVF technology provides hope for couples who cannot conceive naturally. However, before IVF, a series of examinations are required to ensure the health of the mother and the embryo. The following will elaborate on the inspection required for IVF from aspects such as embryo quality, maternal health, genetic diseases and infant gender.
Embryo quality inspection
The quality of embryos is crucial to the success rate of IVF. After IVF, doctors will evaluate the fertilized eggs and select the best quality embryos for transplantation. This process usually involves two aspects of inspection:
First, embryo morphology evaluation. The doctor will observe the cell division of the embryo, the number of cells and the development degree of the embryo blastocyst to determine the development status of the embryo.
Second, genetic examination. The genetic examination before embryo implantation can exclude some embryos with hereditary diseases, such as Down syndrome and blastocyst fibrosis, so as to improve the health quality of embryos and the probability of successful implantation.
Pre implantation genetic screening (PGS) is a commonly used genetic examination method. A small number of cells are taken to detect the chromosome number and structural abnormalities of the embryo to determine whether the embryo is normal. This kind of examination is usually carried out when the embryo develops to the blastocyst stage, which can eliminate embryos with abnormal chromosomes and improve the quality rate of transferred embryos.
Maternal health examination
The mother bears an important responsibility in the process of IVF. Her physical condition will directly affect the health of the embryo and the success rate of pregnancy. Therefore, it is very important to conduct a comprehensive health examination of the mother before starting IVF.
These checks typically include:
First, gynecological examination. The doctor will check the uterus, ovary and cervix to ensure that there is no abnormality in the mother's reproductive system.
Second, blood test. The maternal hormone level, thyroid function, blood type, immune system and virus infection can be known through blood examination.
Third, ultrasonic inspection. Ultrasound examination can help doctors observe the structure of the ovary and uterus, and exclude uterine fibroids, polycystic ovaries and other potential problems.
Genetic disease examination
IVF technology can reduce the risk of transmitting some genetic diseases to the next generation, so it is necessary to check genetic diseases.
For couples with a family history of genetic diseases, genetic counseling and genetic testing can be used to assess their risk of disease and choose the safest treatment. For example, it can be predicted whether couples have disease causing genes by checking for carrying genes, gene mutations and chromosomal abnormalities.
Some common genetic diseases, such as thalassemia, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, can be excluded from health risks through pre implantation genetic examination.
Infant gender check
In some special cases, couples may have a need to choose the sex of the baby. For couples who want to choose the sex of the baby, they can select embryos of normal sex for transfer through PGS and pre implantation genetic examination.
However, the requirements for selecting the baby's gender are usually within a reasonable range, and blind selection of gender is not encouraged to avoid the problem of gender imbalance.
Summary
Before IVF, a series of examinations should be carried out, including embryo quality, maternal health, genetic diseases and infant gender. Embryo quality inspection can improve the success rate of IVF. Maternal health inspection can ensure that the mother is in good health. Genetic disease inspection can reduce the risk of disease transmission. Infant gender inspection can meet individual selection needs. These tests can improve the safety and success rate of IVF and ensure the health of mothers and infants.
