What is genetic screening?
The term “genetic screening” refers to established programs directed either at entire populations of individuals who do not have any specific symptoms (such as newborns), or sub-populations, such as some populations at a higher risk for a particular disease (for example, Caucasians for cystic fibrosis, the Ashkenazi Jewish population for Tay-Sachs disease, etc).
Genetic screening refers to tests used to predict the likelihood of having a particular disease. Screening for genetic disease or genetic predisposition may provide an opportunity to prevent the effects of the disease. Individuals with positive screening results can have further diagnostic testing or examination to determine if they truly have the condition. There are several different types of genetic screening. The most widespread type of genetic screening is newborn screening, which is completed on all newborns in the United States. Newborn screening is completed for disorders that may not be apparent at the time of birth, but which may have serious complications if they are not identified and treated early. To see which conditions your state screens for click here http://genes-r-us.uthscsa.edu/resources/newborn/state.htm Other types of screening are carrier screening, and screening for predisposition to disease.
