PGD has been successfully used for several years. Over 40 babies have been born 
worldwide by use of these techniques. Unfortunately, a number of misdiagnoses 
have been made, a distressing consequence of a new frontier. Significant 
advances have been made to improve the efficiency and accuracy of PCR and FISH. 
The widespread use of this technology awaits further documentation of safety and 
accuracy. Other issues must also be addressed. First, the cost-effectiveness of 
the techniques relative to the traditional alternatives must be evaluated. A 
number of ethical issues regarding embryo screening must be addressed including 
what diseases are serious enough to warrant the procedure. Another concern is 
the use of this technology for nongenetic disorders such as gender selection. 
Finally, the experimental nature of these procedures must continually be 
discussed with patients, and long-term follow-up studies must be undertaken. 
Development of more accurate and less expensive assays coupled with improved IVF 
success rates may make PGD a more widely used clinical tool. The future awaits 
these developments.