Preconception and Prenatal Genetic Counseling
Discovering how your family history can ensure your baby's future
Many couples feel anxious about introducing a new baby to the family. If you have a personal or family history of birth defects or genetic disorders, or if you have been informed your unborn baby has birth defects or a possible genetic condition, the anxiety can be overwhelming. If you are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant and have concerns about your baby’s future, genetic counseling can help.
Services may include:
- preconception and infertility counseling
- thorough evaluation of personal and family medical history
- risk assessment for your children
- genetic testing for parents, when appropriate
Is genetic counseling right for me?
There are many reasons to consider prenatal genetic counseling. Some of these include:
- women age 35 or older at the time of delivery
- couples experiencing infertility
- personal history of two or more pregnancy losses
- prenatal screening results showing risk for defects or genetic conditions
- couples who have a personal history of genetic disorders, birth defects or mental retardation or who have a child with these conditions
- women exposed to medications, drugs, alcohol, radiation, chemicals or infections during pregnancy
- ethnic background known to have a higher risk for certain inherited conditions
- couples who are first cousins or other blood relatives.
For more information about how genetic counseling can help you, talk with your primary care doctor or obstetrician about a referral to the Affinity Genetic Counseling program.
