If you’re doing IVF, you might want to know which of your embryos are male and which are female before you choose one to transfer. How can you tell whether an embryo is a boy or a girl? Can you tell by just looking at them? Embryologist, Alease Barnes, explains how your fertility clinic can tell which embryos are male and which are female.
Can You Tell If An Embryo Is Male or Female by Just Looking At It?
According to Alease, embryologists cannot determine the sex of an embryo just by observing it under a microscope. Embryos, whether male or female, look the same at the stage that they are growing in the IVF lab, which is usually Days 1-6.
Visual assessment is limited to grading the embryo’s quality and development stage, but gender identification requires a more advanced approach.
How Is an Embryo’s Gender Determined?
The only way to accurately determine the gender of an embryo is through an embryo biopsy. During this process, 5 to 7 cells are carefully removed from the outer layer of the embryo, known as the trophectoderm. These cells actually become the placenta; the embryo is too early to test the cells that will become the actual baby, so cells that will become the placenta are tested instead. These cells are then sent for Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT).
PGT not only identifies the presence of chromosomal abnormalities but also reveals the embryo’s sex chromosomes, allowing embryologists to determine whether the embryo is male (XY) or female (XX). This testing is often done for medical or family-balancing reasons but is entirely optional.
If You Want To Know The Gender of Your Embryos, You Need PGT Testing
If you’re interested in knowing the gender of your embryo, discuss PGT with your fertility specialist. It’s important to remember that this is an elective process and involves additional steps during the IVF cycle.
By providing this information, Alease Barnes helps demystify the intricate work of embryologists and the science behind IVF embryo testing.
