Does PGD IVF increase the risk of multiple pregnancies?
The development of IVF technology has brought hope to many infertile couples. Among them, PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis) technology is widely used to ensure the health of embryos and reduce the risk of genetic diseases. However, some studies show that, PGD IVF may increase the risk of multiple pregnancy. This article will discuss this problem from many aspects.
1. Potential risks of using PGD technology
The principle of PGD technology is to conduct genetic testing on the obtained embryos after in vitro fertilization. In this way, embryos carrying genetic diseases can be screened, and healthy embryos can be selected for implantation into the uterus to improve the success rate of pregnancy. However, in order to increase the success rate, doctors usually implant multiple embryos to increase the likelihood of pregnancy. This inevitably increases the risk of multiple pregnancy.
In addition, because PGD technology is not 100% accurate, wrong detection results may occur, leading to implantation of not completely healthy embryos, further increasing the risk of multiple pregnancy.
2. Risk and complications of multiple pregnancy
Multiple pregnancy has potential risks and complications for both mother and fetus. The extra placentas and amniotic membranes required for multiple pregnancies lead to excessive uterine dilation, increasing the risk of premature delivery and pregnancy. Multiple fetuses tend to be small at birth, and are prone to low birth weight, which increases the risk of neonatal death.
In addition, multiple pregnancy also increases the risk of pregnancy complications such as hypertension, diabetes and anemia. After women are pregnant with multiple fetuses, they need more prenatal examinations and more frequent medical observation, and may need more complex delivery methods such as early caesarean section.
3. Improvement and risk reduction of IVF technology
Although PGD test tube babies may increase the risk of multiple pregnancy, advances in modern medical technology can reduce this risk. First, with the development of technology, The accuracy rate of PGD is also constantly improving, reducing the chance of wrongly judging embryo implantation. Secondly, the implantation of twin or multiple fetuses can be reduced through more accurate embryo screening and selection of excellent embryos. Finally, doctors are increasingly aware of the risk of multiple pregnancies and will be more cautious in deciding the number of embryos to be implanted.
4. Clinical cases and empirical research
Some clinical and empirical studies have investigated whether PGD IVF increases the risk of multiple pregnancies. A research report published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that, PGD technology does increase the risk of multiple pregnancy, but with the progress of technology, the proportion of multiple pregnancy has begun to decline. Similarly, some hospitals and clinics have begun to control the number of embryos implanted more carefully to reduce the risk of multiple pregnancies.
in summary, PGD test tube baby technology can reduce the risk of genetic diseases, but it does increase the risk of multiple pregnancy. However, with the continuous improvement of technology and more careful operation of doctors, this risk is gradually reducing. For couples, selecting appropriate hospitals and clinics and receiving professional guidance and consultation can further reduce the risk of multiple pregnancy.
