Recently announced results of a newly released IVF study shows that delaying embryonic screening for chromosomal abnormalities until the fifth day of development – the blastocyst stage – significantly improved implantation rates and led to more successful pregnancies. The study was published online in the June edition of Fertility & Sterility. While many IVF patients choose to have their embryos screened for chromosomal viability, testing has traditionally been conducted on day three, at the cleavage stage of development. Data from the new study shows that the practice of cleavage-stage biopsy can impair an embryo’s ability to implant and become a healthy