Does IVF with PGD and blastocyst transfer affect offspring's sex-ratio?

Abstract

Almost 30 years since the first IVF newborn, conception through ART should still be followed for unknown consequences. A shifting of male to female ratio following IVF and blastocyst transfer has been recently suggested. We used PGD results of gender to investigate whether the sex ratio was altered and if gender affects embryo development in vitro, implantation, and eventually delivery rate. Retrospective data analysis. 143 consecutive cycles of IVF with PGD for aneuploidy were analyzed. 48.2% (466/966) of the embryos were normal for 5–9 chromosomes and the gender was known. In vitro embryo development until day 5–6, implantation rate, miscarriage rate, and delivery rate by gender were evaluated. 46.8% of the embryos tested by PGD were diagnosed as males (n = 218) and 53.2% (n = 248) as females (P=NS). There were no significant differences in their potential development to early or advanced blastocyst stages. 111 male blastocysts and 129 female blastocysts were transferred. Implantation rates were comparable, 32.4% and 31%, respectively, and 78% of the implanted embryos in each group were delivered. Male and female embryos generated by IVF-PGD treatment have similar developmental, implantation and delivery potential. This is the first study to use PGD results to follow in vitro development and implantation of embryos by gender. Our data suggest that ART with extended blastocyst culture is not associated with sex-ratio imbalance.