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To Pick and Choose
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
By Heather Johnson Durocher
The future looks very bright for reproductive technology, and you might not have to wait 20, 10 or even five years to benefit from current research efforts.
"There are studies going on that are beginning to look at all 23 [chromosomes] to rule out a problem," Dr. Werlin says. "When that becomes a reality, people who will do IVF will also more likely want to do PGD. The future is very exciting. As a technology right now, there are drawbacks. It only looks at nine chromosomes right now. Should one of the other 14 be abnormal, it may be a pregnancy that doesn't go on, or the patient doesn't get pregnant."
Also on the horizon are the findings of another study by Dr. Werlin assessing the alarmingly high multiple birth rates in the United States due to the success of IVF. According to Dr. Werlin, premature delivery of high-order multiples and all of their inherent risks need to be addressed. In an effort to seek a solution to the problem, researchers have designed a protocol using PGD as a tool to encourage placement of no more than two embryos at the time of transfer.
Steinhart and Rappoport are among those couples grateful for any research related to PGD. They are also interested in seeing what the future brings. Their daughter may face similar reproductive decisions if she tests positive as a carrier of hemophilia and could benefit from advances in PGD. "People like me, people like my daughter – this is our only hope of having a healthy baby," Steinhart says.
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