microsort

hi there! does anyone know of any adverse affects of microsort to either the mom or the baby? We are considering using it to conceive a girl?

There are none that are known.  Thus far MicroSort has reported that babies born have had the same rate of birth defects as the general population.  The first MicroSort baby will turn 10 later this year, so it's possible there are long-term effects that aren't known.  My MS twins are 4 years old and perfectly normal.  Certainly there seem to be no risks specific to MicroSort to the mother, although there are the normal risks associated with getting pregnant by IUI or IVF, such as the use of fertility drugs and the potential for a multiple pregnancy.

Best wishes to you!
Maureen

I have only heard that microsort is still in trial stages and that it is harmful to the sperm in some sences.  I am doing pgd with ivf to conceive a girl, and would do microsort other than hubby had vasec. so it wont work for me.  Good luck.

Michelle

Maureen-

If you don't mind me asking...were your twins IUI?

I had another question about microsort.  Is there any data in regards to neurological issues or developmental issues of the baby? Do you know where I could get some info about this?Thanks!

Not at all!  Yes, my twins were IUI.  I got pg on my very first IUI attempt (which is not typical).  I used Clomid and had 2 follicles (in other words, 2 eggs).  We had a 92% X-sort.  At 20 weeks, I found out I was having twins -- a boy and a girl.  They are now 4 1/2 and they are perfectly normal (well, perfectly extraordinary!)  I have never yet heard from anyone with an MS baby that was not perfect (I have been in contact with perhaps 50).

To the previous poster who mentioned MS may harm the sperm.  MS does tire the sperm out somewhat, but otherwise there has been nothing showing any damage.  There have been some theoretical concerns raised that the fluorescent dye that binds to the sperm's DNA might possibly damage the DNA, however this concern has never been anything but theoretical to my knowledge.  MS has been tested in several generations of animals.  The same flow cytometry technique (under another brand name that escapes me at the moment) is used in cattle to control the sex of offspring.

MS is supposed to follow up with each child through one year to see if there are any medical issues.  They have published reports showing the birth defects that have occurred (see the MS web site) and these have been found to occur no more often than in the general population.  You have to remember that even if MS doesn't cause birth defects, it doesn't protect you from them either.  (Although PGD will screen out some of them.)  This was my worst nightmare going into MS, knowing that if I had a baby with a birth defect I would spend the rest of my life blaming myself and wondering if it was due to MS. 

Of course you should do all the research you can, but unfortunately, evaluating the safety of MS is simply something we lay people are not equipped to do, unless we happen to be molecular geneticists.   At some point you have to either take it on faith, or decide to walk away -- and that is a  hard decision to make objectively  when you want it to work very badly.

Best wishes in your decision,
Maureen

Maureen-

Thank you so much for responding so quickly and with such great information. Like you, I would blame myself too if I knew I did something to cause my child birth defects, etc. That is why I am seeking information. We are probably going to give MS a try in October.

Thanks Again:)