Fembryo Fertility & Gynaecology Clinic
Genetic Testing
Genetic testing is used to screen for conditions that can be passed down from parent to child, and to check for conditions that might affect how well assisted reproduction techniques work.
Fembryo Fertility and Gynaecology Clinic | Laboratory
Genetic testing may be offered to a patient with a family history of genetic disorders.
Some conditions that can identified by genetic testing are breast cancer and cystic fibrosis, among others. A miscarriage may also be tested to determine if there was a genetic reason for the loss of the baby.
PGT-a and PGT-m
Pre-implantation and prenatal testing for selecting the gender of a child for family balancing is prohibited in South Africa (Tissue Act 2010) except in the case of serious sex-linked or sex-limited genetic conditions. Please contact lab@fembryo.co.za for more information.
Our clinic is proud to collaborate with world-class genetic laboratories so that we can offer genetic testing to our patients. This helps to exclude genetic abnormalities in the embryo before the transfer takes place.
What is PGT-a?
PGT-a or preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy is the screening of embryos for chromosomal disorders. PGT-a tests for chromosome abnormalities including the 22 chromosomes and the 2 sex chromosomes. This is usually advocated for those patients that suffer from repeated implantation failure (or repeated IVF failures), miscarriages, or advanced maternal age (women over 38).
What is PGT-m?
PGT-m or preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders is the genetic profiling of embryos prior to implantation. Familial genetic diseases can be screened for after testing both parents and then the embryo/s can be screened for this specific genetic anomaly.