New in vitro fertilisation techniques help design genetically healthy babies

MUMBAI: Shubha and Nitin, a Thane couple in their early 30s, have been regularly visiting an IVF clinic in south Mumbai for two months despite neither of them being infertile. They both carry a faulty gene that increases their risk of bearing children with thalassemia, a blood disorder that requires weekly transfusions. By seeking a test-tube baby, they can rule out thalassemia in their babies.

Clearly, assisted reproduction techniques (ART) are changing. From helping infertile couples have babies, ART has evolved to assist people in having genetically healthy babies. This has been possible due to improved pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), a procedure of carrying out genetic testing on embryos created in a laboratory. "Only the embryos that don't have genetic defects will be implanted in the woman's womb," said infertility specialist Dr Firuza Parikh from Jaslok Hospital, Pedder Road, who is treating Shubha and Nitin and was the first in the country to offer PGD 15 years back.

PDG is not new or non-controversial (the present-day Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act was amended in 2003 to say that PGD cannot be used for sex selection), but the techniques are fast evolving. Laboratories such as Ahmedabad's Supratech Micropath, Delhi's Nova IVI and private genetic testing labs now offer cutting-edge genetic tests.

This has resulted in more couples opting for it. Bhayander resident Kusum, who like Shubha is a thalassemia minor, is seven months pregnant with a genetically normal baby. Using in vitro fertilization techniques, Dr Parikh created seven embryos—literally in a petri dish—for Kusum and Sumeet. "Six didn't have the gene for thalessemia major. We implanted three into Kusum's uterus that resulted in a single pregnancy," said Dr Parikh.

Dr Kamala Selvaraj started using PGD for her patients in Chennai last year. "Even though PGD adds cost to the treatment, couples who are keen to have genetic babies opt for it," said Dr Selvaraj, who has helped 25 couples in a year. PGD increases treatment cost by 20-25 per cent, but doctors say it's more affordable, and less emotionally wrecking, than life-long treatment or care for genetic abnormalities.