CCRM's Pioneering Procedure That Examines All 23 Pairs of Chromosomes in Human Embryos Has Transformed Worldwide IVF Landscape

DENVER, April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine (CCRM) is celebrating its 10-year anniversary of the first baby conceived through comprehensive chromosome screening (CCS), a technique that counts all 23 pairs of chromosomes in a day five embryo. This procedure was pioneered by CCRM in 2007 and has transformed the international landscape for in vitro fertilization (IVF). CCS has been successfully adopted by fertility clinics in the U.S. and abroad resulting in the birth of tens of thousands of healthy babies.

As a woman ages, the quality of her eggs decline due to an increased risk of chromosome issues. A chromosomally abnormal egg will lead to an embryo that has either too many or too few chromosomes (called aneuploidy). This is the direct cause of close to 70 percent of all spontaneous miscarriages.

"At CCRM, we realized that with the development of CCS we could reduce the number of miscarriages and improve live birth rates by selecting and transferring only the day five embryos with the correct number of chromosomes," said CCRM Scientific Director Mandy Katz-Jaffe, Ph.D.

CCS involves removing a few cells from a day five embryo (also known as a blastocyst) and counting the number of chromosomes. "By screening embryos and picking the chromosomally normal ones, it helps to erase the impact of maternal age on fertility and allows older women that have struggled to conceive, the best chance at a successful pregnancy and healthy live birth," said CCRM Founder William Schoolcraft, M.D.

CCS success rates at CCRM are consistently high with a 70 percent live birth rate and a less than five percent miscarriage rate, independent of maternal age after a chromosomally normal embryo has been transferred. Since 2007, more than 3,000 healthy CCRM babies were born using CCS in conjunction with IVF.

CCS has not only increased IVF success rates for women trying to have babies later in life (late 30s to early 40s), but it has also given doctors the confidence to only transfer one chromosomally normal embryo. This reduces the risk of multiple births, which poses significant health risks to both mother and baby.

"Innovation is a key reason why the CCRM Network of fertility clinics is a leader," said Dr. Schoolcraft. "We are constantly searching for new ways to help individuals and families have the child they always wanted in the safest and most efficient way possible."

CCRM
Founded in 1987 by Dr. William Schoolcraft, the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine (CCRM) is one of the nation's leading infertility treatment centers, providing a wide spectrum of infertility treatments ranging from basic infertility care to advanced IVF technology. CCRM has locations in Colorado, Atlanta, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, Orange County and Toronto, Canada. Locations in Boston, Northern Virginia and San Francisco are slated to open summer 2017. Dr. Schoolcraft and his colleagues achieve some of the highest pregnancy rates in the country. CCRM has been ranked "The #1 Fertility Center in the U.S. with the Greatest Chance of Success" by Child.com. To learn more, visit www.ccrmivf.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Contacts:
Katie Trexler Kern, Evolution Communications Agency
303.941.4118 or [email protected]

Sarah Stavros, Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine
303.761.0579 or [email protected]

SOURCE CCRM

Related Links

https://www.ccrmivf.com