Chromosome testing could increase chance of pregnancy

Couples trying for a baby using IVF can try and increase their chances of a pregnancy by taking part in a unique clinical trial at the CARE Fertility Centre in Nottingham.

Doctors want to recruit 200 couples under the age of 35, who are about to embark on IVF treatment.

Half of them will be offered chromosome testing of their embryos, in addition to the IVF.

This is to find out if either partner has a chromosome abnormality. We have 46 chromosomes in our bodies, which means 46 chances of something being wrong.

Tyler was an IVF baby. His parents, Katherine and Brett Hart, from Ockbrook in Derbyshire, weren't offered chromosome testing as Katherine is not over 35 years of age.

Brett is a carrier of cystic fibrosis. They only found this out after he donated his sperm to the clinic for testing. Baby Tyler was born after three IVF attempts.

Chromosome abnormalities are the largest single cause of IVF failure. They can cause miscarriages and abnormalities in the babies development.

Only embryos with no chromosome abnormalities will be implanted in the womb, giving the couple the best chance of having a successful pregnancy.

Doctors particularly want to target younger couples, as they're not routinely offered these tests.

It's an expensive process, at £2,500 to screen all a couples embryos.