Fertility Counselling: IVF Advances That Can Help Couples Struggling With Infertility | Health [Beuzz]

India’s general fertility rate (GFR) has declined by 20% over the past decade and one in 15 Indian couples struggle with infertility. However, there is a lot of stigma attached to infertility, which creates a barrier for couples seeking help. The WHO defines infertility as “a disease of the male or female reproductive system defined by the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected intercourse”.

The good news is that advances in assisted reproductive technology can go a long way in helping couples struggling with infertility achieve their dream of becoming parents. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Sulbha Arora, Clinical Director of Nova IVF Fertility in Mumbai, said, “One of the popular and widely known fertility treatments is IVF (in vitro fertilization). Advances in this process can improve the success rates of fertility treatments and reduce the risk of complications. For example, IVF combined with tests like PGT-A (preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies) can detect chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo before the embryo is implanted. Tests like these are particularly beneficial for women of advanced maternal age, as the incidence of abnormal embryos increases with a woman’s age. She suggested:

• Women can choose to have their eggs frozen

Recently, Priyanka Chopra spoke about freezing her eggs following the recommendation of her gynecologist mother. Egg freezing is a very reliable procedure as the technique has evolved over time. There is less chance of eggs being damaged because the method of freezing and thawing eggs has improved. It is highly recommended for women battling cancer who wish to preserve their fertility. In recent times, social egg freezing has become popular where women freeze their eggs if they are not ready to become parents. This can be for different reasons such as pursuing their career, their studies or not having found a partner yet.

• Better odds with frozen embryo transfer

The chances of implantation of frozen embryos have increased over the years. Frozen embryos may have higher success rates because they can be implanted in the uterus at a time when the female body is more receptive and because vitrification (rapid freezing) techniques have advanced considerably.

Previous IVFs were often associated with multiple pregnancies, as multiple embryos were transferred during treatment. Nowadays, fertility specialists prefer to transfer a healthy embryo. Typically, in the past, the second or third day after egg collection was used for embryo transfer after IVF or ICSI. But, we are now able to grow embryos for five or six days thanks to developments in the IVF laboratory. Embryos now have additional chances to demonstrate their capacity for development. Before day 5 or 6, some embryos stop developing. The embryologist can discover and select the best embryo(s) for embryo transfer through this “natural selection”. Multiple births can also lead to health complications for both mother and baby, which is why a single embryo transfer is ideal.

• Chromosomal testing of embryos to reduce the risk of abnormalities

Chromosomal testing of embryos is known as PGT-A (preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies). PGT-A can aid in the selection of chromosomally normal embryos for transfer, as women over 35 have a higher risk of birth defects. It also helps patients who have a history of miscarriages which may have been caused by chromosomal abnormalities.