First IVF baby with new embryo screening technique

A first baby has been born to a couple in the USA going through IVF and involving the use of a new embryo screening approach. The method uses the latest DNA sequencing techniques and aims to increase IVF success rates while being more affordable for couples. Dr Dagan Wells of Oxford University led the international team which has shown how 'next-generation sequencing' can be used to pick the embryos created by IVF that are most likely to lead to successful pregnancies. The approach can identify embryos with the correct number of chromosomes and may cut hundreds of pounds off the cost of embryo screening, Dr Wells says, which currently adds £2000-£3000 to IVF treatments. He will outline the development today at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology's annual meeting in London. The work was a collaborative effort. It received significant support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, a partnership between Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Oxford.