ATLAS OF IVF EMBRYOS : DAY 2 AND DAY 3 EMBRYOS

ATLAS OF IVF EMBRYOS - DAY 2 AND DAY 3 EMBRYOS

DR. SAIPRASAD GUNDETI, SENIOR EMBRYOLOGIST, MALPANI INFERTILITY CLINIC PVT. LTD.

You can see what embryos look like on Day 1 at https://www.drmalpani.com/articles/atlas-of-ivf-embryos-day0-and-01

DAY 2 EMBRYOS

• DAY 2 EMBRYOS GENERALLY HAVE 2 TO 4 CELLS IN THEM.
• EMBRYOS WITH 4 CELLS (GRADE A) ARE CONSIDERED AS TOP QUALITY DAY 2 EMBRYOS.

GRADING OF DAY 2 EMBRYOS IS DONE CONSIDERING :

• SIZE OF THE CELLS
• PRESCENCE OF FRAGMENTS / PERCENTAGE OF FRAGMENTATION.

GRADE A EMBRYO

4-CELL GRADE A EMBRYO

• THIS EMBRYO IS A TOP QUALITY DAY 2 EMBRYO
• THIS EMBRYO IS WITH EQUAL SIZED CELLS
• NO FRAGMENTATION IN THE EMBRYO

2-CELL GRADE A EMBRYO

GRADE B EMBRYO

4 CELL GRADE B EMBRYO

• THE EMBRYO IS WITH EQUAL SIZED CELLS
• THE EMBRYO HAS FRAGMENTATION MORE THAN 15 %

GRADE C EMBRYO

4 CELL GRADE C EMBRYO

• THIS EMBRYO IS WITH UNEQUAL SIZED CELLS
• THE EMBRYO HAS FRAGMENTATION MORE THAN 50 %

DAY 3 EMBRYOS

• DAY 3 EMBRYOS GENERALLY HAVE 6 TO 8 CELLS IN THEM.
• EMBRYOS WITH 8 CELLS (GRADE A) ARE CONSIDERED AS TOP QUALITY DAY 3 EMBRYOS.

GRADING OF DAY 3 EMBRYOS IS DONE CONSIDERING :

• SIZE OF THE CELLS
• PRESCENCE OF FRAGMENTS / PERCENTAGE OF FRAGMENTATION.

GRADE A EMBRYO

8-CELL GRADE A EMBRYO

• THIS EMBRYO IS A TOP QUALITY DAY 3 EMBRYO
• THIS EMBRYO IS WITH EQUAL SIZED CELLS
• NO FRAGMENTATION IN THE EMBRYO

6 CELL GRADE A EMBRYO

GRADE B EMBRYO

THIS IS AN 8 CELL GRADE B EMBRYO.

EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO FRAGMENTATION, THE EMBRYO HAS UNEQUAL SIZED CELLS IN IT, WHICH MAKES IT A GRADE B EMBRYO.

THIS IS AN 8 CELL GRADE B EMBRYO.

THE EMBRYO HAS EQUAL SIZED CELLS IN IT. BUT SINCE IT HAS MORE THAN 15 % FRAGMENTATION IN IT, IT IS A GRADE B EMBRYO.

8-CELL GRADE C EMBRYO

THE EMBRYO IN THE PICTURE IS AN 8 CELL GRADE C EMBRYO.
THE EMBRYO HAS UNEQUAL SIZED CELLS AND FRGMENTATION MORE THAN 50 %

FAST GROWING EMBRYO ON DAY 3

8-CELL GRADE A COMPACTING EMBRYO 12-CELL GRADE A EMBRYO

The figure below is a schematic of how we grade embryos

WE OFTEN SEE SOME EMBRYOS GROWING FASTER COMPARED TO OTHER EMBRYOS.
THESE EMBRYOS ARE GIVEN PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TO SELECTING EMBRYOS FOR TRANSFER.

Embryos are usually cultured in the lab until Day 5, when they are called blastocysts. The best blastocysts are transferred into the uterus.

You can see what blastocysts look like  at https://www.drmalpani.com/blastocystimages