The IVF/PGD Technique
Their ...
lives are about to change in ways they never imagined as they look forward to the future of their new family. One question may come to mind: is it possible to determine baby gender before conception?
There are scientific ways to determine baby gender; one of them is the IVF/PGD Technique. This method requires artificial fertilization, where eggs retrieved from the mother are fertilized with the father’s sperm in the lab. The fertilized embryos are then separated by sex.
The fertilized eggs are biopsied by the preimplantation genetic diagnosis, the PGD part of the IVF technique. Once the embryos reach three days growth a small incision is made and one of the cells is removed. A scientist will study the isolated cell looking for genetic abnormalities and determine baby gender.
Because every one of our cells holds a perfect copy of our DNA in its chromosomes, laboratory analysis of this solitary cell can show whether it will have an inherited disease, chromosomal anomalies, and the sex of the child.
Once the analysis is done, the preferred sex with healthy genetics is placed in the mother’s womb. There are other scientific ways to determine baby gender, however this is the preferred method because control is exacting in the lab over the embryo.
There may be many reasons a couple would decide IVF/PGD Technique is the one they will choose in deciding the sex of their child. In some countries, only the male child can carry the family name, or inherit the family lands. In other countries, like China there may be a moratorium on how many children a couple can have. Some families may be unable to produce one sex or the other and it is for these reasons this technique has seen a rise in its use.
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