Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Apr 1;33(2):100-105.
doi: 10.1097/GCO.0000000000000687.

Pregnancy from mosaic embryo transfer: genetic counseling considerations

Kelly Chen  1 , Diana Darcy  2 , Allison Boyd  3
Affiliations
Review

Pregnancy from mosaic embryo transfer: genetic counseling considerations

Kelly Chen et al. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: The transfer of mosaic embryos during an IVF procedure is becoming more common. There is limited information regarding the outcomes for such transfers, making it difficult to establish best practices for prenatal counseling of patients considering transfer of mosaic embryos. In addition, genetic counseling may be delivered by different providers in the preimplantation and pregnancy timeframes which can contribute to inconsistent information.

Recent findings: There are many types of aneuploid results from preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), with mosaicism being a possibility. Recent studies have reported normal prenatal diagnostic results, pregnancy and birth outcomes with mosaic embryo transfers. Reproductive and prenatal society guidelines recommend diagnostic testing in pregnancy following a mosaic result by PGT-A. Prenatal genetic counseling providers should consider the available information from the PGT-A result, emphasizing the benefits and limitations of each available prenatal test in detecting the fetal chromosome complement.

Summary: While transfer of mosaic embryos can allow couples without euploid embryos to have a chance of a viable pregnancy, further studies are necessary to better guide this decision-making. In addition, better coordination between reproductive providers and prenatal providers could improve prenatal care.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. [No authors listed]. Preimplantation genetic testing: ACOG Committee Opinion No. 799. Obstet Gynecol 2020; 135:e133–e137.
    1. Stern HJ. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis: prenatal testing for embryos finally achieving its potential. J Clin Med 2014; 3:280–309.
    1. Vera-Rodriguez M, Rubio C. Assessing the true incidence of mosaicism in preimplantation embryos. Fertil Steril 2017; 107:1108.
    1. Practice Committee, Genetic Counselor Special Interest Group (GCSIG) of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Clinical management of mosaic results from preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) of blastocysts: a committee opinion 2019. Fertil Steril 2020; 114:246–254.
    1. Cram DS, Leigh D, Handyside A, et al. PGDIS position statement on the transfer of mosaic embryos 2019. Reprod Biomed Online 2019; 39: (Suppl 1): e1–e4.