If you have a family history of serious birth defects, seek genetic counseling before becoming pregnant. Many medical centers, universities, hospitals, and clinics provide such services.
The genetic counselor, working with a physician, can assess the risk of your having a child with a particular birth defect if it runs in your family, or if you’ve already had one child with the defect, or experienced unexplained miscarriages, stillbirth, or infant death. This can be done through a family and personal medical history and various medical tests.
Chromosome analysis, for example, can determine whether you or your mate is carrying a chromosome abnormality that does not affect you but may seriously affect your offspring.
Women in their mid-thirties and older are at increased risk of having babies with certain chromosome abnormalities, and should consider genetic counseling.
After evaluating family and personal medical histories and the results of any medical tests, the counselor may be able to reassure you that the abnormality is unlikely to be repeated. If he finds that you run a considerable risk of having a child with the defect, the counselor will discuss your range of option for avoiding or dealing with such an outcome.
Genetic counseling ethics strongly discourage advising you to do (or not do) anything. Counselors should provide you with explanations, estimates of risk if possible, and discussion of whatever option apply in hard situations: childlessness, artificial insemination, prenatal testing, abortion, giving the offspring up for adoption, expectations of treat ability, and so on. When clients ask, “What would you do in my position?” a counselor is likely to reply in effect, “I’m not you. My job is to inform, not advice.”
When a child is born with a birth defect, immediate diagnosis and treatment can be very important. Many abnormalities can be surgically improved or corrected. With others early training can help prevent future disabilities. Special schools and vocational training centers are widely available. Ask your pediatrician or health department.
The genetic counselor, working with a physician, can assess the risk of your having a child with a particular birth defect if it runs in your family, or if you’ve already had one child with the defect, or experienced unexplained miscarriages, stillbirth, or infant death. This can be done through a family and personal medical history and various medical tests.
Chromosome analysis, for example, can determine whether you or your mate is carrying a chromosome abnormality that does not affect you but may seriously affect your offspring.
Women in their mid-thirties and older are at increased risk of having babies with certain chromosome abnormalities, and should consider genetic counseling.
After evaluating family and personal medical histories and the results of any medical tests, the counselor may be able to reassure you that the abnormality is unlikely to be repeated. If he finds that you run a considerable risk of having a child with the defect, the counselor will discuss your range of option for avoiding or dealing with such an outcome.
Genetic counseling ethics strongly discourage advising you to do (or not do) anything. Counselors should provide you with explanations, estimates of risk if possible, and discussion of whatever option apply in hard situations: childlessness, artificial insemination, prenatal testing, abortion, giving the offspring up for adoption, expectations of treat ability, and so on. When clients ask, “What would you do in my position?” a counselor is likely to reply in effect, “I’m not you. My job is to inform, not advice.”
When a child is born with a birth defect, immediate diagnosis and treatment can be very important. Many abnormalities can be surgically improved or corrected. With others early training can help prevent future disabilities. Special schools and vocational training centers are widely available. Ask your pediatrician or health department.
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