Medical professionals employ various methods to assess the quality of frozen human embryos, predicting the likelihood of successful pregnancy. Common techniques include Preimplantation Genetic Diagnostic (PGD) and Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) testing.
However, studies reveal that these assessments may not always be accurate. Lower-quality embryos, when thawed and transferred, can result in healthy babies, challenging the reliability of early tests. Recent reports from physicians in the United States and Europe indicate that embryos initially labeled abnormal could develop into normal pregnancies, leading to healthy births. This suggests that many embryos discarded as abnormal might have had the potential for health.
A Snowflakes family experienced this firsthand by adopting six embryos, thawing all of them. Four survived the thaw, two were transferred, and the remaining two, initially considered "incompatible with life," were re-frozen. Despite the doctor's advice, the family decided to thaw and transfer the remaining embryos, believing every embryo deserved a chance at life, not just those deemed "good quality." This decision resulted in a successful pregnancy with twins.
Numerous embryos in frozen storage are not utilized for family-building due to being labeled "low quality" or "poor quality." Contrary to these biases, these embryos could lead to the birth of perfectly healthy children.
For more personal stories of families defying the odds with lower-quality embryos, you can watch the webinar "Personal Stories: Snowflakes Beating the Odds."
To delve deeper into embryo adoption and donation, visit Snowflakes.org.