Genetic counseling pregnancy

If you are older than 35, your doctor may recommend genetic counseling for you and your partner. Healthcare professionals interpret information gathered from interviews, tests and health histories, then share the results with you both.

Genetic counseling seldom provides exact information. Counselors describe information in terms of percentages and odds. No one will tell you what to do; they provide you with information and support so you can make your own decision.

Counseling can help you understand your current situation, its diagnosis and prognosis. It can help you in family planning and provide support to your family. Counselors can help you explore options for the present and future.

Genetic counseling is a complicated process and requires input from several different professionals. These professionals can include a medical geneticist, genetic counselor, social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist, laboratory specialists, clergy, parent groups and others.
Ask your genetic counselor any questions you have about the information you are given. This person can help you use the resources available and help you understand what is involved in making important decisions.

As information is gathered, it may be necessary to share it with other members of your family. If a gene abnormality is identified, your sister, for example, will probably want to know about it before she starts her own family.

In the past, genetic counseling was offered only to older women or after the birth of a child with a defect. With increased awareness and advances in technology, today we can provide couples with information before conception. The three major areas we focus on are reproductive history, family history and consanguinity (partners are related).

Reproductive History
When a genetic counselor asks questions about your reproductive history, he or she seeks information on any type of pregnancy loss, miscarriage, stillbirth or perinatal death (death of the baby at the end of pregnancy or after birth). Other important information can include fertility problems, the type and duration of contraception, and environmental exposures (as from your job).

Family History
Your family history can be important in determining a high-risk situation. Information essential to your genetic counselor includes a description of the health status of you, your partner and siblings; cause of death of any relatives; the age at death of these relatives; and any birth defects in relatives. Your family history helps identify abnormalities that occurred in relatives and helps predict the likelihood of these defects occurring in your child.

Ethnic background can be an important aspect of family history.
For example, if both partners are of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, there is an increased risk of giving birth to a baby with Tay-Sachs disease. Some people of African and Mediterranean descent are at an increased risk for having a baby with sickle cell anemia.

If you are unsure of all the information a family history requires, ask your parents and other family members for help. By working together, you will be able to provide the data necessary for the most thorough evaluation.