Objective: To explore the embryo development characteristics in Robertsonian translocations (RTs) in their preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) cycles.
Method: A total of 37 RT carrier couples underwent 41 blastomere PGD cycles from August 2005 to September 2008. The development of 272 embryos was analyzed in their PGD cycles.
Result(s): At D3, there were 161 high-grade embryos, including 59 normal/balanced embryos and 102 abnormal embryos. There was no difference between the normal/balanced embryo group and the abnormal embryo group in terms of the high-grade embryo percentage (64.84% vs 56.35%, p = 0.179). However, at D5-D6, the blastocyst percentage in the normal/balanced embryo group was significantly higher than that in the abnormal embryo group (43.96% vs 20.44%, p = 0.000).
Conclusion(s): Normal/balanced embryos developed better and a self-selective mechanism may exist in the RTs' embryos at the blastocyst formation stage.