MOH gives go-ahead for embryo-screening technique to be piloted here

SINGAPORE — An embryo-screening technique that can improve pregnancy rates in women who have experienced repeated in-vitro fertilisation failures and miscarriages will soon be available here.

The National University Hospital (NUH) will begin a three-year pilot programme early next year on the procedure, called pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS), announced Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor yesterday.

PGS, which identifies chromosomal abnormalities in embryos created through in-vitro fertilisation, is currently not allowed in Singapore.

This is because published evidence on PGS was unclear, said Dr Khor in Parliament. In recent years, however, newer technologies for PGS have emerged, and some countries have now allowed it.

The pilot programme at NUH will help the Ministry of Health (MOH) review the clinical effectiveness of PGS. The ministry is also reviewing the procedure’s ethical implications.

It will need to ensure that embryos are not eliminated solely based on preferences of parents on characteristics such as gender, said Dr Khor, who was asked by Members of Parliament Louis Ng and Cheng Li Hui if MOH would consider permitting PGS here with controls in place. MOH will consult stakeholders and the public to gather views, she added.

Last December, TODAY reported that more Singaporeans were undergoing PGS overseas after exhausting fertility options here. According to doctors, PGS is carried out with IVF and only embryos with the correct number of chromosomes are transferred into the womb, which helps increase chances of pregnancy.

The quantity and quality of a woman’s eggs decline with age and the risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases.

Asked by Mr Ng what criteria NUH will use in its PGS trial, Dr Khor said details are still being worked out and will be revealed later. NEO CHAI CHIN