Starting a family is expected to happen naturally, but for many couples, the journey becomes painfully complicated, especially when the fear of passing on a serious inherited disease hangs over every pregnancy.
In Nigeria, thousands of families quietly live with genetic conditions that alter lives forever.
Among the most common inherited conditions is sickle cell disorder, and for couples who know they carry the genetic traits, the dream of having a healthy child often comes with deep anxiety.
Thanks to advances in reproductive medicine, things are changing for the better.
At Nordica Lagos, a highly advanced genetic technology known as Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic Disorders is helping couples have children free from specific inherited diseases.
For many families, this represents relief, hope and, in many cases, a second chance at parenthood without fear. Unlike conventional fertility treatment, PGT-M is not simply about helping a woman get pregnant; it is about identifying healthy embryos before pregnancy even begins.
Every human being inherits genes from both parents. Sometimes, a mother and father may both carry the same abnormal gene without appearing sick themselves, as is common among sickle cell trait carriers. Individually, they may live healthy lives, but together they face the risk of conceiving a child affected by sickle cell disease.
With each pregnancy, the risk remains the same. There is a chance the baby may inherit the disease, a chance the child may become a carrier and a chance the child may inherit completely healthy genes.
For years, many couples relied on prenatal testing during pregnancy to determine whether a baby had inherited a genetic condition. But those tests usually happen after conception has already occurred, often forcing families into emotionally traumatic decisions later in pregnancy.
PGT-M changes the timing completely. The process begins with IVF treatment. Eggs are retrieved from the woman while sperm is collected from the man. Fertilisation then takes place in the laboratory, allowing embryos to develop over several days under careful observation.
At this stage, specialists can remove a tiny number of cells from each embryo without affecting its development.
Those cells are then analysed genetically to determine whether the embryo carries a specific inherited disease. Only embryos free from the targeted condition are selected for transfer into the womb.
Couples at risk of passing on certain genetic disorders can begin a pregnancy knowing the selected embryo does not carry the disease being tested for. For many families, that certainty is life-changing.
In Nigeria, conversations around fertility often focus solely on conception itself. But an increasing number of couples seeking fertility care are not necessarily struggling to become pregnant; rather, their concern is the fear of hereditary illness.
Among the most common concerns is sickle cell disease, which remains highly prevalent in the country. Many couples discover their genetic compatibility only during marriage preparations or after the birth of an affected child.
For some, the fear becomes so overwhelming that they avoid pregnancy altogether.
This is why technologies like PGT-M are attracting growing attention among fertility specialists and patients alike. Rather than waiting until pregnancy occurs and hoping for favourable results later, doctors can now screen embryos before implantation, significantly reducing the likelihood of passing on serious inherited conditions.
Beyond sickle cell disease, PGT-M can also be used for several other single-gene disorders where a clear genetic mutation has already been identified within a family. One of the most important parts of the process happens long before embryo testing begins. This is why genetic counselling plays a critical role.
Couples must first undergo detailed evaluation to identify the exact mutation involved and understand their reproductive risks. This stage may involve extensive blood tests, family history assessments and laboratory analysis. It is not a rushed process.
Developing a personalised testing probe for a specific family can take considerable time because the testing must be tailored precisely to the couple’s genetic profile. Accuracy is critical, and a single mistake could have lifelong consequences. This precision partly explains why PGT-M remains one of the most specialised areas in reproductive medicine.
Yet despite its complexity, the goal remains profoundly human: helping couples complete their families without carrying the burden of uncertainty into every pregnancy.
For many patients, the emotional impact can be difficult to describe. Some arrive at the clinic after years of heartbreak. There are couples who have lost multiple children to inherited illnesses, while others have experienced repeated terminations following devastating prenatal diagnoses.
Some simply want to spare future children the suffering they witnessed within their own families while growing up.
The decision to pursue PGT-M is not casual. It often comes after long conversations, soul-searching and careful consideration of financial realities. Repeated hospital admissions for a chronically ill child can place enormous strain on families, both emotionally and economically. In that context, many couples see PGT-M not merely as fertility treatment, but as preventive medicine for future generations.
It is important to note that PGT-M does not guarantee pregnancy success. Like every IVF-based procedure, outcomes can vary depending on factors such as age, egg quality, sperm quality and overall reproductive health. Not every embryo created will necessarily be healthy or suitable for transfer. In some cases, couples may require multiple cycles before achieving a successful pregnancy. However, the technology has significantly changed what is medically possible for high-risk families.
Just a generation ago, many couples carrying serious inherited conditions had limited reproductive options. Today, advances in genetics and embryology are allowing doctors to intervene before pregnancy even begins. That shift is transforming not only fertility care, but also conversations around inherited diseases in Nigeria.
In many communities, genetic conditions still carry stigma, misunderstanding and silence. Some families hide diagnoses out of fear of judgment, while others avoid testing entirely because they fear what the results may reveal. However, growing awareness about genetic screening and reproductive technology is gradually changing attitudes.
More couples are now seeking premarital genotype testing. More families are asking questions about hereditary risks, and more men are participating actively in fertility consultations rather than viewing reproduction solely as a woman’s responsibility.
The work is technical, methodical and deeply scientific, but beyond the machines and medical terminology are ordinary people carrying extraordinary hopes. For couples hoping to break a painful family cycle, for parents longing to welcome a healthy child without fear and for families searching not only for pregnancy but also peace of mind, technologies like PGT-M are increasingly making those hopes possible.
