Genetic Journey #1: Mosaic Embryo Success after Recurrent Implantation Failure
This is a mosaic embryo success story for a woman over 35 years old who experienced recurrent implantation failure with multiple embryos with euploid PGT-A results.
These are personal stories, meant to inspire hope and help remind others they aren’t alone. They are for educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Share yours here
This DNAide patient first came to us to discuss whether genetic testing for recurrent implantation failure (RIF) could help her. Genetic counseling helped her understand the options for testing and helped her realize that ultimately the results of testing wouldn’t change how she wanted to move forward with treatment. She still had one euploid and one mosaic embryo in storage, and wanted to transfer them both together with her next transfer cycle.
When we discussed her genetic testing options for RIF the mosaic embryo that she had in storage came up. No one had really talked to her about it, but she had recently transferred her care to a new clinic. She hadn’t know the embryo existed until it was time to move it somewhere new. She learned that at the new clinic the embryo was “transferable”. She set up a second genetic counseling appointment with us to learn all of the details. She previously chose to terminate a pregnancy due to a diagnosis of trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) and was hesitant to use an embryo that may have a genetic risk. We discussed this with her a lot, held space for her feelings, and she ultimately decided she wanted to transfer the mosaic.
Mosaic result: complex mosaic (35%), -2, +10, +14
“Nobody went into the details of what it meant, nobody referred me to a genetic counselor”
She moved forward with the transfer of both her euploid and her mosaic embryo, and had a successful twin pregnancy! We met twice for genetic counseling during her pregnancy to discuss testing options, review results, and to help her manage her anxiety. She felt anxious about the genetic risks given her previous termination and didn’t feel comfortable explaining to others that she used a mosaic because she worried they would judge her decision.
Earlier this year, she delivered her healthy twin girls at 38 weeks gestation. They required no NICU time or additional support. Genetic testing on cord blood at birth showed no chromosomal abnormalities. Her girls are both thriving and our patient is doing well both physically, and from a mental health standpoint.