Authors

Lindsay Kroener, M.D., Gayane Ambartsumyan, M.D., Ph.D., Christine Briton-Jones, Ph.D., Daniel Dumesic, M.D., Mark Surrey, M.D., David Hill, Ph.D., H.C.L.D.

Vol 98, Issue 4, Pages 876-880

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate the relationship between aneuploidy and timing of blastocyst formation.

Design:

Historical cohort study.

Setting:

Private IVF clinic.

Patient(s):

Ninety-four couples undergoing IVF treatment in combination with chromosomal screening of embryos. The mean maternal age was 39.2 years and average number of embryos per patient was 5.3.

Intervention(s):

A total of 530 embryos were biopsied on day 3 and underwent chromosome screening with microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Effect of day of embryo blastulation and morphologic grade on aneuploidy rate.

Result(s):

Day 5 morulas that progressed to blastocysts on day 6 were significantly less likely to be aneuploid (79.8%) than day 5 morulas that did not progress to blastocysts (92.9%). However, there was no significant difference in aneuploidy rates when embryos that became blastocysts on day 5 were directly compared with embryos that became blastocysts on day 6.

Conclusion(s):

Delayed blastulation is not associated with increased aneuploidy rates, but absence of blastulation is associated with increased aneuploidy. Therefore, we conclude that when choosing a morula for transfer on day 5, there may be a benefit in waiting an extra day for the possibility of blastulation to occur.

Read the full text at: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(12)00649-8/fulltext