FAMILY BALANCING – ERICSSON METHOD
Island Reproductive Services, together with the Reproductive Center of Central New Jersey (RCCNJ), is pleased to offer family balancing using the Ericsson method. This patented technique developed by Ronald Ericsson, Ph.D., of Gametrics, Ltd., Montana, for sex selection has been used extensively. It is presently offered by numerous centers in the United States and 
worldwide. Dr. Ronald Ericsson has personally trained our technicians.
The process separates the X and Y sperm by filtering the husband’s sperm through. The enriched sperm sample is then used for insemination. The separation process selects the most optimal sperm for insemination, leaving behind slower-moving sperm and debris found in semen. This highly technical process takes up to four hours and is performed in our laboratory. For more technical information, see www.childselect.com.
The decision to perform family balancing must be made with serious consideration. Gender pre-selection meets a very personal need for many couples. It has been used to establish gender balance within a family or to lessen the risk of gender-related hereditary diseases.
All pregnancies have a 2-3% risk of birth defects. Artificial insemination with Ericsson sperm selection shows no greater occurrence of birth defects than normal insemination or by natural means.
Family balancing can be used with intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in-vitro fertilization (IVF). When used with IUI, it is available ONLY Monday through Friday, and sperm must be processed at RCCNJ.
Criteria for Use of Ericsson Family Balancing:
The sperm sample must meet certain criteria. Patients desiring a female child need at least 3.2 million moving sperm is preferable. For patients desiring a male child, at least 32 million moving sperm is preferable. However, for men whose sperm does not meet these criteria, several sperm samples may be frozen in advance and processed together to achieve adequate sperm numbers and quality. Information and costs for this additional treatment are available by contacting RCCNJ at 908-412-9909.
Success Rates:
If pregnant, the success of achieving a male baby using this procedure can be as high as 75% to 80%. The chance of achieving a female baby can be as high as 70% to 73%. The sperm isolation process cannot completely separate X sperm from Y sperm. Therefore, there is no 100% guarantee. Using Clomiphene Citrate may optimize successful outcomes for patients desiring a female child. For patients desiring a male child, Clomiphene Citrate may decrease success rates. However, the use of this sperm sorting method with injectable medications for ovarian stimulation has not been studied extensively to provide exact success rates.
Moreover, for more details and pricing, don’t hesitate to contact the RCCNJ website www.rc-cnj.com or contact our offices.