What is Embryo Grading?
What is Embryo Grading?
Embryo grading is the process by which the Embryologist will individually examine each of your embryos to assess the morphology and provide an embryo grade. The embryo grading is a way of measuring the embryo’s potential and is used when selecting embryos for transfer or vitrification.
The fertilized egg is a single cell on day 1 of development and is not usually assessed as this stage. Once the division occurs on days 2 and 3 of development, the embryo is graded by cell number and quality. To grade the quality, we primarily look at the level of cell fragmentation within the embryo, the evenness of the cells and the granularity within the cells.
Once the embryo forms a blastocyst on days 5-6, the grading focusses on the expansion of the blastocyst i.e. how advanced it is, then the quality of each of the two cells lines (the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm). The inner cell mass contains the cells that go on to form the baby itself and we are looking to see a compact ball of cells to get the best grading. The trophectoderm contains the cells that go on to form all the extra-embryonic material such as the placenta and the amniotic sac. For the best grading of this cell line, we are looking for a good cell number and a uniform distribution and evenness of these cells around the outside of the blastocyst.
Learn more about IVF and embryology here!
Victoria Wigley
Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider or qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.