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Aneuploidy

About the time of fertilisation mistakes in the arrangement of the chromosomes can occur. Many are lethal - in other words the embryo will not survive - the best known is Down's Syndrome where the effect on the child varies considerable: other examples are Turner's and Klinefelter's syndromes both of which have a marked effect on fertility.

RISKS - for Down's syndrome and for total chromosomal abnormalities - All, in the table. In the table below the figures are expressed as chances - e.g. for a woman of 20 although the risk is low it is there - 1 in 667; for a woman of 49 the risk is high 1/11.