Fertility treatment stopped parents passing CF gene to children

A Cork fertility clinic that successfully used a treatment designed to reduce the risk of couples passing on an inherited condition to their children has recorded a second pregnancy using this procedure.

Patrick Mullane and Lisa Cooke, underwent Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) at the Cork Fertility Centre.

Because Patrick had cystic fibrosis and Lisa was a carrier of the CF gene, they chose to avail of PGD in an effort to prevent their child inheriting the condition.

The treatment was successful, and in July, Lisa gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Bridget.

Dr John Waterstone, medical director at the Cork centre, has confirmed a second pregnancy using PGD.

This time mucolipidosis was the condition the couple ran the at risk of passing on to their child. It is a rare inherited metabolic disorder where growth usually stops during the second year of life and most affected individuals do not survive past early childhood. However the use of PGD gives the couple a chance to give birth to a healthy child.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner yesterday, Dr Waterstone said: “The pregnancy is in the early stages but it looks viable.” He said the couple in question previously had a baby “severely affected” by mucolipidosis.

Dr Waterstone said approximately 12 couples were “in the system” with a view to undergoing PGD at the Cork centre. The cost ranges between €10,000 and €12,000 depending on the rarity of the condition being screened for. It is not covered by private health insurance but some of the cost can be claimed back through Med 1 tax forms.

Dr Waterstone said couples seeking PGD — which involves screening embryos before they are implanted in the uterus, allowing the safe transfer of those identified as unaffected by the condition in question — are comprehensively assessed in advance to determine suitability.

“They should be young, have plenty of eggs, and be quite fertile inherently.

“You have to be realistic about who has a good chance of getting pregnant.”

Because Ireland has no legislation governing fertility treatment, Dr Waterstone said the list of conditions they screen for using PGD is the same as the UK list, drawn up by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. He said it does not include screening for the purpose of sex selection or eliminating conditions such as colour blindness.

CFC also offers pre-genetic screening, which involves checking the chromosomes of embryos conceived by in-vitro fertilisation or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection for common abnormalities.

“We are starting to do it for the odd couple at risk of chromosomal deficiency,” Dr Waterstone said.