What should you know about NGS PGT-A?

PGT-A stands for preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. Aneuploidy means an embryo has an unusual number of chromosomes. During an IVF cycle, embryos are created in the laboratory and a small sample of cells is taken from the outer layer of a developing embryo. The embryo is usually frozen while the sample is analysed.

Next-generation sequencing, or NGS, reads genetic material from the sample and looks for chromosome-number changes. The result is one part of an embryo assessment, not a complete prediction of implantation, pregnancy, or a child's health. A result may be described as euploid, aneuploid, or mosaic, and your fertility team should explain what the laboratory's categories mean.

Ask how the test fits your age, medical history, fertility plan, and number of embryos available. Discuss what will happen if no embryo is reported as suitable, if a result is mosaic, or if testing cannot provide a clear result. Confirm whether genetic counselling is available and how the report will guide embryo selection.

Testing does not replace routine pregnancy care or diagnostic testing during pregnancy. It also does not assess every genetic condition, so ask which findings the laboratory can and cannot detect. Review consent, sample handling, and the time needed before a transfer is planned.

Contact your fertility clinic promptly if you have severe pain, heavy bleeding, fever, breathing difficulty, or feel suddenly unwell during ovarian stimulation or after egg collection. These symptoms relate to the fertility procedure rather than the sequencing result and need clinical assessment.

Arrange follow-up when your report is ready, especially if it contains a mosaic or inconclusive finding. A specialist can place the result alongside embryo development and your own circumstances before any transfer decision.

Which chromosome findings does this NGS test report? How are mosaic and inconclusive results handled? What are the alternatives if testing is not suitable for me? Will a genetic counsellor discuss the report before transfer?