{"id":39609,"date":"2025-06-23T12:56:38","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T10:56:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/what-is-culture-to-blastocyst-and-why-do-we-use-it-in-assisted-reproduction\/"},"modified":"2025-06-23T12:56:38","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T10:56:38","slug":"what-is-culture-to-blastocyst-and-why-do-we-use-it-in-assisted-reproduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/what-is-culture-to-blastocyst-and-why-do-we-use-it-in-assisted-reproduction\/","title":{"rendered":"What is culture to blastocyst and why do we use it in assisted reproduction?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you are trying to conceive through assisted reproduction, you\u2019ve most likely read about this concept while looking into different types of fertility treatment:\u00a0<strong>culture to blastocyst<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Do you understand what it is and\u00a0<strong>what role it plays in assisted reproduction<\/strong>? If not, don\u2019t worry. Here at URE Centro Gutenberg we are going to inform you about this topic so that you understand what it is when we talk about culture to blastocyst. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Tabla de contenidos<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #3f3f3f;color:#3f3f3f\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #3f3f3f;color:#3f3f3f\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/what-is-culture-to-blastocyst-and-why-do-we-use-it-in-assisted-reproduction\/#What_is_a_blastocyst\" >What is a blastocyst?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/what-is-culture-to-blastocyst-and-why-do-we-use-it-in-assisted-reproduction\/#What_is_culture_to_blastocyst\" >What is culture to blastocyst?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/what-is-culture-to-blastocyst-and-why-do-we-use-it-in-assisted-reproduction\/#When_do_we_decide_to_do_a_blastocyst_transfer\" >When do we decide to do a blastocyst transfer?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/what-is-culture-to-blastocyst-and-why-do-we-use-it-in-assisted-reproduction\/#What_are_the_advantages_to_transferring_in_blastocyst_stage\" >What are the advantages to transferring in blastocyst stage?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/what-is-culture-to-blastocyst-and-why-do-we-use-it-in-assisted-reproduction\/#What_are_the_disadvantages_to_transferring_in_blastocyst_stage\" >What are the disadvantages to transferring in blastocyst stage?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_blastocyst\"><\/span><strong>What is a blastocyst?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The most important step is to first understand what a blastocyst is. It\u2019s nothing more or less than\u00a0<strong>an embryo on day five or six of development<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This embryo is characterised by having an inner cell mass, which\u00a0<strong>will become the foetus<\/strong>, and an outer layer called the trophectoderm, which will become the placenta.<\/p>\n<p>During this stage of development the embryo will\u00a0<strong>start the process of embryo implantation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_culture_to_blastocyst\"><\/span><strong>What is culture to blastocyst?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>During a cycle of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/in-vitro-fertilisation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">In Vitro Fertilisation<\/a>, culture to blastocyst involves keeping the embryo in culture\u00a0<strong>in the laboratory until day 5 or 6\u00a0<\/strong>of development.<\/p>\n<p>Once it reaches blastocyst stage, the embryo is\u00a0<strong>transferred<\/strong><strong>\u00a0to the uterus or frozen<\/strong>\u00a0by vitrification.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_do_we_decide_to_do_a_blastocyst_transfer\"><\/span><strong>When do we decide to do a blastocyst transfer?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Today, the tendency in assisted reproduction is to try to transfer in blastocyst stage, as this permits a\u00a0<strong>better selection of embryos<\/strong>\u00a0which in turn is associated with better results.<\/p>\n<p>The experience at our fertility clinic in Spain\u00a0<strong>confirms this<\/strong>, and for that reason we try to carry out the embryo transfer at this stage of development in the majority of our patients.<\/p>\n<p>However, the possibility of transferring at blastocyst stage depends on the<strong>\u00a0number of embryos and on their development\u00a0<\/strong>in the laboratory.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the above, there are\u00a0<strong>circumstances under which it is indicated<\/strong>\u00a0to transfer in blastocyst stage. These cases are:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>With\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/pre-implantation-genetic-diagnosis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)<\/strong><\/a><strong>:\u00a0<\/strong>the embryos are biopsied on day three of embryo development and are left in culture until day five while we wait for the result of the genetic study.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>With\u00a0<strong>embryo implantation failure<\/strong>: when we are dealing with prior failed IVF cycles, the indication is to transfer in blastocyst stage in a new attempt.<\/li>\n<li>With a\u00a0<strong>single embryo transfer<\/strong>: to reduce the chances of multiple births.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_advantages_to_transferring_in_blastocyst_stage\"><\/span><strong>What are the advantages to transferring in blastocyst stage?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As we mentioned before, in assisted reproduction we have confirmed that transferring in blastocyst stage is associated with\u00a0<strong>better results with pregnancy and implantation rates<\/strong>\u00a0as this process allows us to select the best embryos for transfer.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_disadvantages_to_transferring_in_blastocyst_stage\"><\/span><strong>What are the disadvantages to transferring in blastocyst stage?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The main disadvantage is that there is a high likelihood of<strong>\u00a0not having any embryos for transfer<\/strong>, as they may fail to develop to blastocyst stage in vitro (in the laboratory).<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, this\u00a0<strong>depends on embryo quality and on proper culture conditions\u00a0<\/strong>in the IVF laboratory.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We hope that we have helped clarify this concept for you, as it\u2019s\u00a0<strong>common in assisted reproduction<\/strong>\u00a0but not always well understood by patients undergoing fertility treatment.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In any event, remember that at our fertility clinic in Spain\u00a0<strong>we are here to help<\/strong>\u00a0clarify any doubts you may have.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Contact us if you have questions!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you are trying to conceive through assisted reproduction, you\u2019ve most likely read about this concept while looking into different types of fertility treatment:\u00a0culture to blastocyst. Do you understand what it is and\u00a0what role it plays in assisted reproduction? If not, don\u2019t worry. Here at URE Centro Gutenberg we are going to inform you about [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[499],"tags":[559,528,511,512,504,655,657,529,656,545,522,532,544,565,517,519,531,518,507,508,502,503,509,510,533,506,515,516,505,530],"class_list":["post-39609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-assisted-reproduction-treatments-and-techniques","tag-age","tag-assisted-reproduction","tag-assisted-reproduction-clinic-in-algeciras","tag-assisted-reproduction-clinic-in-malaga","tag-assisted-reproduction-techniques","tag-blastocyst","tag-blastocyst-culture","tag-causes-of-infertility","tag-coclutive","tag-donate-eggs-in-malaga","tag-egg-donation-in-malaga","tag-embryo-cryopreservation","tag-embryo-selection","tag-embryoscope-en","tag-family","tag-female-fertility","tag-fertility","tag-fertility-clinic","tag-fertility-clinic-in-algeciras","tag-fertility-clinic-in-malaga","tag-fertility-treatments","tag-in-vitro-fertilisation","tag-ivf-clinic-in-algeciras","tag-ivf-clinic-in-malaga","tag-pre-implantation-genetic-diagnosis","tag-pregnancy","tag-reproductive-treatments","tag-ure-en","tag-ure-centro-gutenberg-en","tag-vitrification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39609"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39611,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39609\/revisions\/39611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urecentrogutenberg.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}