Bangalore, Jul 9: The Bangalore Assisted Conception Centre (BACC) today announced launching of a facility to enable couples opting for IVF treatment to screen their embryo for genetic disorders.

Dr Kamini Rao, Medical Director of BACC, told reporters the centre was the first in Karnataka and third in the country to offer embryo screening facility.

The screening enables a couple opting for IVF treatment to mitigate the chances of delivering a baby with genetic disorders.

"When one or both parents are at risk of passing a known genetic disorder to their children, they can opt for preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)", she said.

PGD offers hope to numerous couples worried about their next generation and those whose families suffer from genetic disorders like haemophilia, thalassemia, down syndrome, sicle cell disease and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Howver, PGD could be carried out only in cases where a genetic disorder in a family is known.

It also offered facility for screening of blood to ascertain if a person is a carrier of a known genetic disorder, Rao said.

She said genetic testing is recommended for those with family history of chromosomal abormality of any single gene disorder,recurrent pregnancy losses, implantation failures, unexplained infertility, advanced maternal age, male factor infertility.

Couples who have had an earlier child with an abnormality, could diminish the risk of having the second child with a similar abnormality.

PTI