SORTED SPERM SPELLS MORE SUCCESSFUL PREGNANCIES
In an ideal world, every family would have an equal number of boys and girls so as to create a balance in society. In the real world, however, whether one has sons or daughters is very much a gamble. All parents can do is to hope and pray for healthy babies.
Still, it has not stopped some couples from trying to determine the gender of their babies using unauthenticated means such as sexual positions, having intercourse during certain times of the month or taking bizarre foods. This is especially true for couples with secondary infertility (inability to conceive again after the first child) or those with a string of sons or daughters.
The advent of Microsort® (USA) proved to be a game-changer for couples who are serious about gender balancing. The scientifically-proven preconception technology increases the likelihood of having a baby of a specific gender by separating the sperm based on the chromosome they are carrying (X – Chromosome or Y – Chromosome). This process is called Microsort®.
In April 2016, a new discovery related to Microsort® was presented at the 6th Congress of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction that is believed will raise the bar on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). A preliminary study conducted in Alpha Fertility Centre on nine couples who opted for Microsort® showed high clinical pregnancy rates and implantation rates.
Fertility specialist and consultant gynaecologist Dato Dr Colin Lee, the chief investigator for the study, explained that the sperm sorting via Microsort® could have picked out the strongest sperm, resulting in healthier embryos with higher implantation potential.
Alpha Fertility Centre has been offering Microsort® as an optional treatment for couples who would like to increase the likelihood of the desired gender on sperm sorting since December 2014. The discovery that it could also increase implantation rates is an added benefit, especially for couples who have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive naturally for a long time.
The process involved collecting fresh sperm from the male partner and processing it to shortlist only the motile (active) sperm. These cherry-picked sperm would then be stained sorted into X or Y bearing sperm using a flow cytometer. The sorted sperm will then be used for in IUI (Intra Uterine Insemination, or ICSI in an IVF cycle.
The highly promising results is exciting for the fertility sphere, says Dr Lee, who is continuously seeking ways to improve clinical pregnancy rates and find solutions for infertile couples. He surmises that being able to select the gender of your child is a calculated choice, but finding that it increases the chances of pregnancy is surely a much desired bonus.
By : Alpha Fertility Centre
