New technology for assessing egg “quality”
A recent study at Stanford University School of Medicine analyzed a new non-invasive method of analyzing egg “quality” which shows much promise. I say egg “quality” (in quotations) because the test is geared towards determining which eggs are most likely to result in an embryo and eventually a pregnancy, but the test is not like PGD which analyzes an embryo for defects such as chromosomal abnormalities. In other words, an egg that shows a high “quality” according to this test, according to what is indicated in the article, could theoretically still have chromosomal abnormalities.
This technology is still in its infancy – it won’t be available to patients for some time yet to come – but its exciting to consider the possibilities – especially for women with high FSH. It could provide a more objective measure of a woman’s chance of conception and it could reduce the number of embryos transferred but still maintain a high pregnancy rate. We’ll definitely keep an eye on this technology as the studies continue.
