What factors are associated with the malformation rate of IVF?
IVF means that the fertilized egg is embedded into the mother's uterus to develop into a baby after in vitro fertilization through assisted reproductive technology. Although IVF technology has brought hope to many infertile couples, it has also triggered concerns about its deformity rate. The deformity rate is directly related to children's health and quality of life. This article will discuss the malformation rate and related factors of IVF from four aspects: genetic factors, embryo selection, maternal age and progress in reproductive technology.
Genetic factor
Genetic factors are one of the main factors affecting the malformation rate of IVF. IVF often requires donated sperm or eggs from both or at least one party. If the donor itself has some genetic defects or carries pathogenic genes, these abnormal genes may be transferred to IVF. Therefore, when selecting donors, doctors need to conduct detailed genetic testing and screening to minimize the risk of disease.
In addition, chromosome abnormality is also an important genetic cause of IVF malformation. Children with chromosomal abnormalities (such as Down's syndrome and Edwards syndrome) may also appear during normal fertilization, but due to the careful screening of embryos during IVF, the risk of children with chromosomal abnormalities is slightly higher.
Although genetic factors have a certain impact on the malformation rate of IVF, these risks can be minimized through embryo selection technology and screening.
Embryonic selection
Embryo selection is one of the important means to minimize the malformation rate of IVF. Through the monitoring and evaluation of embryo growth, doctors can select embryos with good growth and normal chromosome structure for transplantation, thus reducing the incidence of malformations.
At present, the commonly used embryo selection techniques include genome screening and preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Genome screening (PGS) can detect genetically abnormal embryos by analyzing the chromosome structure and genome information of embryonic cells, and then select normal embryos for transplantation. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can detect and screen specific gene mutations for families with known genetic defects to avoid genetic diseases.
The development of embryo selection technology has significantly reduced the malformation rate of IVF.
Maternal age
Maternal age is one of the key factors affecting the malformation rate of IVF. During the reproductive process of young women, the quality of eggs is relatively good, and the development of embryos is more normal. However, with the growth of age, the quality of eggs began to decline, and the risk of malformation gradually increased.
According to statistics, the deformity rate of children born to women over 35 years old is significantly higher than that of young women. This is why many IVF technologies recommend women under the age of 35.
However, even for young women, the malformation rate of IVF still exists, so further research and exploration are needed to reduce the risk of malformation.
Progress in reproductive technology
With the progress of medical technology, IVF technology is also improving. In the past, the success rate of IVF was low, which may lead to repeated attempts of embryo transfer, thus increasing the risk of malformation.
However, with the improvement of embryo culture and evaluation technology, the success rate of IVF has increased significantly. Modern IVF technology can help doctors better select normal embryos for transplantation, thus reducing the incidence of malformations and improving the health of infants.
Summary:
The malformation rate of IVF is affected by many factors. Genetic factors and embryo selection technology are one of the main influencing factors. Maternal age is also closely related to the occurrence of malformations. In addition, the progress of reproductive technology has greatly improved the success rate and health level of IVF. In order to minimize the malformation rate, doctors need to carry out gene screening and careful testing on donors, and recommend younger women to carry out the IVF process. With the continuous development of science and technology, it is believed that the malformation rate of IVF will continue to decline in the future.
