Genetic tests on IVF embryos ‘could help women over 35 conceive faster’
Women over 35 undergoing IVF may be able to conceive faster with genetic screening of embryos, a new trial suggests.
Listen to this article
The study at King’s Fertility found that preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) - which checks embryos for the correct number of chromosomes - helped participants become pregnant in fewer embryo transfers.
Of 100 women aged 35 to 42, those who received PGT-A testing had a 72% live birth rate after up to three transfers, compared with 52% for those who did not receive the test.
Researchers say the approach could reduce the emotional strain of repeated IVF cycles by lowering the risk of miscarriage and implantation failure.
Currently, PGT-A is not offered on the NHS, but experts suggest these findings may change the conversation around fertility care for older women.
Dr Yusuf Beebeejaun, of King’s College London and King’s Fertility, said: “The number of women starting their family above the age of 35 is increasing and women in this age group are more likely to create embryos with the wrong number of chromosomes.
Read more: Parents who lose pregnancy before 24 weeks to be entitled to bereavement leave
“This increases the risk of unsuccessful implantation and miscarriages.
“Our findings suggest that targeted use of PGT-A in this age group could help more women have a baby sooner, while also reducing the emotional toll of repeated unsuccessful cycles.”
Researchers suggest larger trials are now needed to confirm the findings, which have been published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
They conclude that the tests are “feasible” in women over 35, but suggest “specific focus needs to be placed on including patients over the age of 39, and lowering the threshold for high quality embryos from three to two” to increase eligibility.
The study also included mosaic embryos, which contain both normal and abnormal cells and are frequently encountered in IVF but rarely included in research.
Dr Sesh Sunkara, of King’s College London and King’s Fertility, added: “By focusing exclusively on women aged 35 to 42 and including mosaic embryos, we have addressed questions that previous studies have not adequately explored.
“While larger multi-centre trials are needed to confirm these findings, improving treatment efficiency with a shorter time to achieving pregnancy and live birth could reduce the physical and emotional burden of IVF for women of advanced reproductive age.”
One 39-year-old patient named Ana, who took part in the trial, gave birth following her first embryo transfer.
She said: “I believed PGT-A would give me the relative peace of mind, that my future pregnancies would succeed with a higher rate.
“Also, that syndromes associated to aneuploidy like Down’s were less likely.
“I believe PGT-A also helped my IVF journey, as I managed to become a mum to my beautiful child on my first attempt at embryo transfer. The fact that he was genetically normal, possibly made this more likely, as miscarriages are less frequent with genetically normal embryos.
“Having had a miscarriage in the past, for me it was important to minimise the risk of this happening again the most that I could. Having the opportunity to do this at King’s Fertility was a blessing, in my eyes.”
Dr Ippokratis Sarris, director of King’s Fertility and co-author of the study, said: “This research is a testament to the dedication and expertise of the team at King’s Fertility.
“Not only were all patients recruited and treated here, but the embryology work was also carried out by our laboratory staff.
“We are proud to have led this pioneering trial, which addresses one of the most important questions in IVF treatment for women over 35, and we look forward to building on these findings in larger, multi-centre studies.”
