WHAT KINDS OF GENETIC ISSUES ARE SCREENED FOR IN THE DONORS HEALTH HISTORY?
All donors will have a three-generation family history reviewed by a geneticist. The family history will present information on illnesses and birth defects noted in the individual family members, causes of death, history of miscarriage or reproductive failure, and any known hereditary disorder. Any donor at an increased risk for a genetic or hereditary disorder above that expected in the general population, will be excluded. Examples of disorders that would exclude a donor include alcoholism in a first degree relative, a sibling with spina bifida, a donor with a medical condition such as a heart defect or diabetes, and mental illness or mental retardation in a first degree relative.
