Dubai: New Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) has significantly raised the likelihood of ensuring a healthy pregnancy, an expert said ahead of a fertility conference in Dubai.
Dr David Robertson, Group Medical Director at Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic Dubai, said: “With the use of new PGD tools, the chances of producing a healthy pregnancy has significantly increased by 20 times. Recent advances have shown that embryos receiving the highest ratings from scientists based on their ‘normal’ or ‘excellent’ appearance under the microscope may, in fact, be highly abnormal and totally incapable of ever producing a pregnancy.”
According to the clinic, a recent study has revealed that the fertility rate in the UAE has been declining steadily, from 3.2 children per woman to 2.37 over the span of a single generation and is expected to reduce to 1.63 before 2030.
Dr Robertson’s comments came ahead of a fertility conference to be held on Friday at InterContinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City.
He said, “The discovery was brought about by the addition of PGD to the tools available to scientists in the IVF [In Vitro Fertilisation] laboratory. PGD has offered physicians and scientists, for the first time ever, the ability to examine far beyond the superficial appearance of an embryo”.
Gynaecologists and fertility experts from across the region will converge at the upcoming conference and address the various health issues that can affect fertility, new technologies to counter them and investigate different ways of improving fertility potential while reducing the risks involved.