Genetic Testing on Pre-Implanted Embryos

Genetic Testing on Pre-implanted Embryos

Student Name

National University

Genetic testing can now be done on pre-implanted embryos. This testing includes testing for mutations that are known to cause incurable diseases. The pros and cons for the genetic testing on pre-implanted embryos vary and will be discussed in this paper.

Genetic testing has made leap and bounds and is now something that is discussed with most newly pregnant mothers. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggest that women be informed about genetic risk and testing, especially women that are of a cultural group that is predisposed to certain diseases. Genetic testing becomes a necessity when the embryo is created outside the womb during In Vitro Fertilization. The pre-implantation genetic testing is done on day three after the embryos are created. The testing comes back quickly so the healthy embryos can be implanted on day five. The testing is usually done in cases of previous failure of implantation and high maternal age. Parents that come from a culture that is predisposed to have certain genetic mutations that cause diseases like cystic fibrosis should be tested prior to attempting pregnancy. (Feero & Strauss, 2012)

There are many different reasons to do genetic testing and are as follows: carrier screening, pre-implantations in IVF patients, prenatal diagnostic testing, newborn screenings, pre-symptomatic testing, confirmation diagnosis, and forensic and identifying testing. The carrier screening assist prospective parents on deciding if they should have children due to being carriers of certain gene mutations that require both parents to be carriers of the gene. Prenatal diagnostic testing can be done during and amniocentesis and would inform the parents of certain genetic mutations that may exist. Pre-symptomatic testing would be done on someone that had a chance of having an adult onset disease such as Huntingdon’s disease before the symptoms started....