# embryo fragmentation



## phil dw

Peter, would you mind giving me some advice please. 
i've had two unsuccessful ivf cycles. the first one produced 5 eggs, 2 fertilised. the second cycle produced just 2 eggs and both fertilised. 

both sets of embryo's were fragmented and were graded level 3 (if this means anything). i am 42 and husband 40, we;ve had 3 pregancies resulting in 2 m/c and 1 ectopic.

my questions are:
what is likely to cause fragmentation?
is there anything i can do to improve embryo quality?
is there anything anyone can do to improve it?


many thanks and regards,

phil


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## peter

phil dw said:


> Peter, would you mind giving me some advice please.
> i've had two unsuccessful ivf cycles. the first one produced 5 eggs, 2 fertilised. the second cycle produced just 2 eggs and both fertilised.
> 
> both sets of embryo's were fragmented and were graded level 3 (if this means anything). i am 42 and husband 40, we;ve had 3 pregancies resulting in 2 m/c and 1 ectopic.
> 
> my questions are:
> what is likely to cause fragmentation?
> 
> No one really knows why fragments form and even what their significance is in a human embryo. I have seen pregnancies from heavily fragmented embryos.
> 
> is there anything i can do to improve embryo quality?
> 
> No
> 
> is there anything anyone can do to improve it?
> 
> It would be useful, in your case, to carry out sperm DNA fragmentation studies and also aneuploidy screening on the embryos themeselves. This would not improve embryo quality but it would tell us if the chromosomes in the sperm, and more importantly in the embryos, are normal. Your previous miscarriages may be as a result of abnormal chromosomes in the embryos.
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> Peter
> 
> many thanks and regards,
> 
> phil


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## phil dw

peter, thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

we both have had chromosome blood tests. is this different to the sperm and embryo chromosome dna tests you referred to? 

phil


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## peter

phil dw said:


> peter, thanks for getting back to me so quickly.
> 
> we both have had chromosome blood tests. is this different to the sperm and embryo chromosome dna tests you referred to?
> 
> phil


Yes, these are different tests, one is on sperm and the other is on the embryos themselves.

Regards,

Peter


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