Multimple pregnancy incidence increases after the ebryo biopsy according to a study made by Insitituto Bernabeu and published in the specialised magazine JBRA

A study carried out by Instituto Bernabeu’s Reproduction Biology, Molecular Biology and Reproductive Medicine and Genetics units, about the embryo biopsy incidence on blastocysts stage (uterus implantation previous phase, around day 5 of embryo development) shows a slight increase of multiple monozygotic pregnancies when using this technique. This study has been published in the Brazilian Society and the Assisted Medicine Latin-American Web along the Brazilian Embryologists Association JBRA scientific magazine.

This study gathers, along three years, all assisted reproduction cycles with monozygotic pregnancies where there was a previous embryo biopsy on blastocysts stage. This data has been compared with those results of all other transfers of one not biopsied embryo. The investigation shows that multiple pregnancy after trophectoderm biopsy (future placenta cells extraction to analyse) is double than in those cycles where a single not biopsied embryo has been transferred.

Although monozygotic gestations are rare, it allows to give very valuable information to patients. Multiple pregnancies are related with higher risk for mother and foetus.

This investigation is one of the first studies published about the blastocysts stage biopsy incidence, for this reason more studies are needed to confirm the obtained data.

“Monozygotic twinning following embryo biopsy at the blastocyst stage”

R. Sellers, JC Castillo, J. Ten, A. Rodríguez, JO Ortiz, F. Sellers, J. Ll. Aparicio, R. Bernabeu