Patient's question:
Can you get pregnant with a chromosomal translocation?Doctor's answer:
The male has a Robertsonian translocation. Theoretically, the sperm produced would be 1/6 normal, 1/6 balanced, and the rest would be unbalanced sperm. This would increase the early miscarriage rate in the female and also the risk of congenital defects in the fetus. Although the theoretical probability of bad outcomes is relatively high, due to the large number of sperm released in a single ejaculation by the male and the rigorous internal selection process in the female's body, the natural selection process, the final miscarriage rate is not as high as expected. Therefore, the poor outcome of this pregnancy may be related to the male's balanced translocation, or it may be related to other factors during the early pregnancy. It is recommended to perform amniocentesis between the 16th and 20th weeks of pregnancy to rule out any adverse fetal conditions. The first suggestion has a significant element of luck, but indeed, there are many cases in my patients where good luck led to the birth of healthy children. This is also the most ethically and economically suitable choice for Chinese people.