Comparative Genomic Hybridisation
A New Test Which Could Double the Success Rate of IVF
Feb 1, 2009 Joanna Karpasea-Jones
A 41 year old infertility patient has become the first woman in the world to get pregnant after a new technique called comparative genomic hybridisation, or array CGH, developed at the CARE clinic in the UK.
What is Array CGH?
Array CGH is a biopsy of the egg's polar body (part of the inside of the egg) which then allows doctors to see if it is chromosomally normal.
Even in normal healthy women, half of all their eggs are genetically abnormal, and for women over the age of 39, this figure rises to a staggering 75%. In nature, the majority of these eggs would either not fertilize or the woman would have a miscarriage. A lot of miscarriages occur before the person is aware she is pregnant, and many are lost in what is thought to be a period. This is perfectly normal.
For women who have additional fertility problems, this creates even more of a challenge and is why the success rate of IVF averages at about 23%. Doctors previously had no way of knowing if the embryos they were making were from defective eggs. They theorize that if all eggs were screened and only those of good quality were used, it could double the success rate of IVF.
The American Trial
An initial medical trial was conducted in the USA using a similar technique and resulted in live births. It improved the pregnancy rate dramatically, rising from 25% to 50%. However, their technology at that time meant that all embryos had to be frozen prior to implantation, and this in itself can cause some embryos to die.
The CARE clinic in the UK continued on with the research and developed a way of performing CGH without needing to freeze the embryo prior to implantation. Transferring fresh embryos to the womb can increase the chance of survival.
Baby Joy 14th Time Lucky
The 41 year old patient had had 13 previous failed IVF attempts using standard IVF treatment. She then chose to try array CGH and had eight eggs removed. Of these eight eggs, two were chromosomally normal. The embryologist then created two embryos using these eggs, and they were both transferred to her womb. One took and she is now pregnant with a baby, due in Spring 2009.
If you are interested in having array CGH as part of your IVF treatment, please phone CARE for more information, on:
Tel:(44) 0115 852 8100
Or write to:
John Webster House
6 Lawrence Drive
Nottingham Business Park
Nottingham, NG8 6PZ.
9 Months Pregnant
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