Amendments to the IVF law will allow genetic testing prior to implantation to enable doctors to look out for certain conditions such as Huntingtons' Disease, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Thursday.
He said this testing for monogenic disorders would allow parents to know of complications if they went ahead with the implantation of the embryo with a genetic condition.
Embryos with such a condition would not be discarded but may be given up for adoption, he said.
The minister was speaking at a press conference where he unveiled the proposed changes to the law.
Insisting that the success rate of Malta's IVF procedures is way better than the European average, Fearne said the changes will give more options to couples with medical issues such as infertility.
Since the IVF service at Mater Dei Hospital started in 2014, 418 "miracle babies" were born through this procedure, the minister said.
Last year was a successful year for IVF, with one of every five cycles resulting in pregnancy, an improvement over the previous year.
Fearne said the new amendments will tweak the law in line with medical advances.
These include allowing gamete donations between same-sex couples.
Other changes will extend entitlement for IVF at Mater Dei Hospital to couples who already have children, even through previous IVF procedures. The government will also be increasing the number of free IVF cycles by establishing that retrievals of preserved embryos would not count as a cycle.
Those who did three cycles already will be able to do another one for free at Mater Dei.
The new law will also raise the age limit of the prospective mother from a maximum of 42 to 45, and 48 in those cases with preserved embryos.
Another amendment will also allow those with preserved embryos abroad to bring them to Malta for IVF treatment at Mater Dei Hospital.
Parliamentary secretary for reforms Rebecca Buttigieg said the amendments will reduce hardships faced by couples.
Asked to react to a media story about Malta having a low IVF success rate, Fearne said that while the average success rate in Europe was 17.7 per cent, Malta’s rate stood at 29.6 per cent.