Definitions for "Assisted Hatching"
a laboratory procedure involving the creation of an opening in the zona pellucida, or outer membrane, of a fertilized egg or embryo. This procedure is intended to help the embryo emerge from the covering and implant in the uterus; in some women of advanced reproductive age, normal hatching of the embryo may not happen without such assistance.
A laboratory procedure that chemically dissolves an embryo surface to improve the likelihood of implantation.
Assisted hatching is a form of embryo micromanipulation whereby a hole is artificially made in the embryo's covering to increase the chance of embryo development. Selective assisted hatching may increase the chance of pregnancy in women over 40 years of age, women with elevated basal FSH levels, women with a history of implantation failure, or in women with embryos having a thick layer surrounding the oocyte (zona pellucida).