PRENATAL DIAGNOSTIC CENTER

The goal of every pregnant woman and her doctor is the birth of a healthy baby.  Most babies are normal and healthy. However, 2-3% of babies are born with some type of birth (congenital) defect. Some of these defects are genetic. Prenatal genetic counseling can help you learn whether your baby may be at increased risk for having a genetic disorder.

Genetic counseling and ordering of the screening studies are coordinated through the Prenatal Diagnostic Center.

Genetic counseling may identify those couples with an increased risk of having a child with a birth defect or genetic disorder and help them understand the nature of the condition, the inheritance, and the chance of occurrence or recurrence. Genetic counseling is recommended for:

• Pregnant women 35 years or older
• Couples with a previous child, or other family member, with a genetic disorder, birth defect, or mental retardation
• Couples who are known to carry abnormal chromosomes or genes
• Women who have abnormal results of blood screening tests in pregnancy
• Pregnant women who have been exposed to agents with a potential for causing birth defects (teratogens )
• Couples with unexplained repeated miscarriages , stillbirths, or infant deaths
• Pregnant women who have a fetal abnormality detected by ultrasound
• History of infertility of unknown cause
• Increased risk for specific inherited conditions, based on ethnic background

If you or your physician think you are a candidate for genetic counseling, you will see a genetic counselor who will ask you for detailed medical and family history information. The counseling session is scheduled prior to the prenatal procedure to allow you time to consider the information in order to make an informed decision. The goals of this session are:

• To find out whether your future children may be at increased risk for a problem, to explain these risks and indicate what testing options are available to detect or rule out the condition.
• To describe in detail the nature, capabilities, and risks of prenatal diagnostic procedures.

Our patient information pages can be found here. These pages outline the prenatal diagnostic procedures offered through referral by a physician, some common fetal findings, age-related risk factors, and the implications of test results.