Who might benefit from genetic counseling?
• Couples who are interested in prenatal diagnosis • Anyone planning a pregnancy • Women who are concerned about first or second trimester screening results • Women age 35 and over • Couples who have experienced repeated pregnancy loss • Parents of a child who may have developmental delays or birth defects and are planning a future pregnancy • Anyone who has a family history of birth defects, mental retardation, seizures, muscle or kidney disease or other serious condition • Couples who are related by blood Disorders Linked to Ethnicity Carrier detection, prenatal diagnosis and counseling services are offered for disorders typically found in certain ethnic groups: • Thalassemias or Sickle Cell disease (inherited anemias) • Tay-Sachs, Canavan, Familial Dysautonomia (neurological disorders) • Cystic Fibrosis (pulmonary disease and/or pancreatic insufficiency) Carriers of these diseases have no symptoms. Only if both members of a couple are carriers are they at risk of having a child with
