Benefits of Genetic Counseling

Genetic counseling can assist women or couples who are:

Planning a pregnancy
Interested in prenatal diagnosis
Concerned about first or second trimester screening results
Known to be at risk for carrying genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, sickle cell disease or thalassemia
Pregnant and will be 35 years or older at the time of delivery
Of an ethnic group in which particular inherited diseases are more common, including African-American, French-Canadian, Jewish, Mediterranean or Asian backgrounds

Genetic counseling can help with the implications of:

Previous miscarriages or pregnancy losses
Either parent's diagnosis or family history of birth defect, genetic disorder or mental retardation
Previously having a child with a birth defect, genetic disorder or mental retardation
A laboratory test such as a maternal serum screening test indicating an increased risk for a genetic disorder
A woman's exposure to certain medications or drugs, significant radiation, and/or particular infections during her pregnancy