IVF Baby Born Through Revolutionary, Less-Expensive Genome-Sequencing Process

A new gene sequencing technique has proven successful in the creation of a healthy baby.

According to researchers, a viable embryo for in-vitro fertilization made the workings for a healthy baby boy.

IVF, a risky procedure in which a human egg is fertilized with sperm in a laboratory that doesn't always yield successful results (with only about 30 percent of the fertilized embryos resulting in pregnancy following implantation) shows promising results for fertilization as doctors detail this new method.

The reason for high failure rate among the IVF process is unclear, according to scientists, but they believe it may stem from genetic defects associated with the procedure, noted via a recent meeting in London of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

This new method, according to the AFP, uses next generation sequencing or NGS, to use updated technology sequencing for an entire genome-that reveals inherited genetic disorders, chromosome abnormalities and mutations.

Lead study author Dagan Wells of the University of Oxford's NIHR Biomedical Research Centre also adds that the new technology is "inherently cheaper" and possibly leads more genetic data than older methods previously used.

According to the study authors, the process provides millions of DNA fragments from a single cell that is then sequenced by a computer. This method is produced using genetic research and diagnostics, but not yet in embryo screenings, according to Wells.

"Many of the embryos produced during infertility treatments have no chance of becoming a baby because they carry lethal genetic abnormalities," he said in a statement, via the AFP. "Next generation sequencing improves our ability to detect these abnormalities and helps us identify the embryos with the best chances of producing a viable pregnancy."

Current methods that detect embryonic gene deficiencies can be quite costly at nearly $3,000 for a single IVF attempt. However, researchers hope this new method can reduce problems and provide new potentials for those who may not have been previously able to afford options.

According to The Daily Mail, Marybeth Scheidts, 36, and David Levy, 41, who had been trying to conceive for the past five years, said they are crazy about their son, Connor, born seven weeks ago, via the process, weighing in at 7 lb 15 oz.