IVF Embryo Development and Growth: Things You Need to Know

During the conception stage, the sperm fertilizes the egg in the fallopian tube. This is when an embryo is formed. The process of fertilization is being completed in the part of the fallopian tube. This tube is closest to the ovary and the embryo develops in the cell separation as it follows the path back to the tube en route to the uterus. The embryo takes five or six days after fertilization to come in contact with the uterine cavity. During this time, it is a blastocyst. In short words, it’s an embryo that is made up of hundreds of cells. 

During the IVF cycle, a blastocyst takes shape. Eggs are collected from the ovaries of women and then fertilized with sperm. After that, an embryo is created. The embryo multiplies and divides the cells over 5-6 days so that it can become a blastocyst. Embryos that survive during this development stage will have high implantation potential after it’s been transferred into the uterine cavity. 

1.      Embryo Transfer:

The embryo must be allowed to grow from Day 3 to Day 5/6 so that the doctors can select an embryo with the highest chances of success. The main benefit of the patient for choosing blastocyst transfer for infertility treatment is that least embryos need to be transferred to the patient. This is because every day 5 embryos have a higher implanting chance than a day 3 embryo does. When you transfer fewer embryos, it will reduce the risks of triplet or twin pregnancies as well as the risks associated with the mother and the child. Additionally, embryos that continuously grow during the blastocyst stage will have lower risks of chromosomal errors. Hence, the baby will be healthy. 

2.      Grading Blastocysts:

Expansion

The size of blastocysts is measured on a scale of 1 to 6. The early blastocysts that are made up of fewer cells can be graded on a scale of 1 or 2. As these types of blastocysts have fewer cells, the inner cell mass is structured poorly. Apart from that, unlike advanced blastocysts, they cannot be graded or measured by letters. Blastocysts that have been expanded further into the development stage are given grades of 3 to 6. Grade 6 indicates an embryo that has been successfully hatched out from the shell. 

Inner Cell Mass

The inner cell mass is the collection of cells that helps to differentiate into the baby. This type of cell is graded as latter like A, B, or C. Grades A and B are most common and they represent a good number of cells. Hence, the cells that are graded as A or B can be cryopreserved. 

Conclusion

Although the grade of embryos signifies their stage of development, don’t forget that the grade is the ultimate potential of an embryo. Don’t forget that embryo grading is subjective and the IVF programs vary while assigning various grades to the embryos.