IVF genetics answers
Embryo genetic screening, explained plainly.
Embryo genetic screening helps IVF families understand genetic information before transfer. PGT-A checks chromosome count; additional analysis can add context about embryo-viability genes and inherited multi-gene risk. None of it replaces your doctor or genetic counselor.
Types of testing
Each test answers a different question.
| Test | What it asks | When it helps | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGT-A | Checks embryo chromosome count. | Finding many aneuploid embryos before transfer. | Does not explain every loss or provide a complete genetic risk profile. |
| PGT-M | Tests for a specific known single-gene condition in a family. | Families with a known inherited variant or condition. | Usually targeted to one condition, not a broad screen. |
| PGT-SR | Tests for chromosome rearrangements when a parent carries a structural change. | Balanced translocations and related family histories. | Not designed for common-disease risk or unrelated single-gene findings. |
| PGT-P | Models inherited risk across many variants. | Understanding relative risk for common, multi-gene conditions. | Estimates risk; it does not diagnose disease or guarantee outcomes. |
| Viability | Screens parent genes tied to fertility and pregnancy viability. | Unexplained recurrent loss or repeated early embryo arrest. | Rare findings; a finding is not a diagnosis or a general-population screen. |
Key embryo screening answers
PGT-A
A normal PGT-A result is about chromosome count.
PGT-A is built to ask whether the sampled embryo cells appear to have the expected number of chromosomes. It can be useful, but it is narrower than a statement that an embryo is genetically risk-free.
Beyond chromosomes
Some pregnancy-loss risks sit below chromosome-level testing.
When embryos are chromosomally normal but losses still recur, the explanation can involve single genes, embryo-development biology, uterine factors, immune factors, chance, or more than one cause at once. A chromosome screen cannot resolve all of those possibilities.
Polygenic risk
Polygenic screening estimates risk; it does not predict a child.
Common conditions usually reflect many genetic variants plus environment and life history. A polygenic score gives a modeled inherited-risk estimate compared with a reference population. It is one input for counseling, not a stand-alone decision rule.
FAQ
Questions patients ask first.
Embryo genetic screening is testing performed during IVF to understand genetic information before embryo transfer. PGT-A checks chromosome number, while other tests can look for inherited single-gene conditions, structural chromosome changes, or modeled risk for common conditions.
PGT-A tests whether a biopsied embryo sample appears to have the expected number of chromosomes. It is mainly designed to find whole-chromosome gains or losses and some larger chromosome changes.
Yes. A normal PGT-A result can be reassuring about chromosome count, but it is not a full genetic clearance. It does not rule out every single-gene variant, every embryo-viability issue, or future common-disease risk.
Polygenic embryo screening estimates relative inherited risk for common conditions influenced by many genetic variants. It is a risk model, not a diagnosis, and should be interpreted with clinical and genetic counseling context.
No. Reticular provides research-backed genetic context and report interpretation. Transfer decisions should be made by patients with their fertility doctor and genetic counselor.
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