£2,000 test may harm pregnancy chances
(cz) Fertility clinics should stop recommending a £2,000 embryo quality test because there is no evidence that it works and it could damage patients’ chances of pregnancy, an influential group of medical professionals says.
The British Fertility Society (BFS) is to advise its members not to offer the pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) test, which is approved for women who are over 35 or who have a history of IVF failure and miscarriage, The Times has learnt.
The procedure is designed to choose embryos with the best chance of developing normally, by screening for genetic abnormalities. Eight British clinics are licensed to perform preimplantation genetic screening. It costs typically about £2,000, and is not available on the NHS. A review by the British Fertility Society of published research, however, has found no evidence that it improves pregnancy rates and some indications that it might actually harm infertile couples’ chances of having a baby. more…
From: »The Times«