Photo/Illutration Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology Chair Kiyoko Kato, right, discusses a report on pre-implantation testing for serious genetic disorders. This was at a news conference in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Aug. 28. (Kenta Noguchi)

A growing number of people in Japan are qualifying for medical exams to prevent passing on serious illnesses to their future children.

The Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which determines which specific diseases are included in this procedure and who is eligible, announced the results of its 2023 examination on Aug. 28.

The results showed it approved scanning for certain diseases it previously did not allow. 

The JSOG began relaxing the criteria for the examination in 2022.

Pre-implantation testing is the process of determining a patient's likelihood of passing on a disease. In vitro fertilized eggs are cultured for several days and a few cells are taken to examine their genetic information.

Some pre-implantation tests are intended to improve the likelihood of getting pregnant and reducing the chance of a miscarriage, while others are to prevent a future child from inheriting any illnesses. 

Choosing which embryos to place in the uterus comes down to whether or not those fertilized eggs will develop a hereditary disease or are healthy. The method also comes with the ethical issue of "choosing life."  

The JSOG approved pre-implantation testing for hereditary diseases in 1998, but only for “serious hereditary diseases” and asked members to follow these guidelines.

It reviews each application for testing on a case-by-case basis, with the key factor in the screening process being whether the patient is "seriously ill" or not. 

The organization defines this as a condition that significantly impairs daily life or endangers survival before adulthood.

However, in 2022, the JSOG indicated that it may accept cases that do not meet its conventional criteria for serious illness; it is aware of the problem that a disease's severity may be interpreted differently depending on the patient's position.

In 2023, a total of 72 cases were reviewed and 58 cases were approved under the new policy. Of those that remain, three were rejected, two were withdrawn and the remaining nine were still under review.

From 2016 to 2021, the number of cases reviewed averaged more than two dozen per year.

By 2023, that number had tripled. Cases included some diseases that were not approved under the old policy, such as retinoblastoma, and others that would develop later in life.

Kiyoko Kato, chair of the JSOG, emphasized at a news conference that the organization is “not making decisions based on disease names.”

“We may receive applications for a variety of diseases in the future, but we will examine them while considering not only the medical application but also individual circumstances,” Kato said.

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