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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Blastomere Explants to Test for Cell Fate Commitment During Embryonic Development
Published on: January 26, 2013
Influence of embryo sex on development to the blastocyst stage and euploidy
Jennifer L Eaton1, Michele R Hacker, C Brent Barrett
1Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Objective:
To compare the prevalence of blastocyst development and euploidy in XX versus XY embryos.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study.
Setting:
Boston IVF, a large university-affiliated reproductive medicine practice.
Patient(S):
All patients who underwent their first preimplantation genetic screening cycle between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2007.
Intervention(S):
In vitro fertilization and preimplantation genetic screening.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Proportion of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage by day 5 and prevalence of euploidy for chromosomes 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, and 22 in XX versus XY embryos.
Result(S):
Seven hundred fifty-eight embryos from 138 cycles in 138 patients were analyzed. Three hundred sixty-six (48%) were XX, and 392 (52%) were XY. XX and XY embryos were equally likely to develop to the blastocyst stage by day 5 and were equally likely to be euploid for the analyzed chromosomes.
Conclusion(S):
Our data suggest that extending embryo culture to day 5 does not lead to sex selection and that euploidy and aneuploidy are not sex dependent.
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