Couples with a Family History of Genetic Disorders
If there are known genetic conditions in your family, a consultation can help assess the risk of passing these conditions to your children.
Genetic Counselling
Genetic counselling helps identify potential causes of infertility or recurrent miscarriages.
What is IVF Genetic Counselling?
This counselling helps identify potential causes of infertility or recurrent miscarriages, and it prevents passing genetic issues to your future children. During the genetic consultation, we will recommend further specialized tests. These results will help us tailor the infertility treatment to give you the best chance of having a healthy and complete family.
Who should get Genetic Counselling?
At our clinic, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive genetic consultation services to help you make informed decisions and to achieve your dream of a healthy family.
Genetic consultation is beneficial for a wide range of individuals and couples, particularly those who are planning to start a family and want to ensure the health of their future children. This service is especially suitable for:
Individuals or Couples who have Experienced Recurrent Miscarriages
Understanding the genetic factors that may contribute to recurrent pregnancy loss can help in developing a tailored treatment plan.
Couples who are Carriers of Genetic Disorders
Carrier screening can identify if both partners carry genes for the same genetic disorder, providing crucial information for family planning.
Women of Advanced Maternal Age
Women aged 35 and older are at a higher risk for chromosomal abnormalities in their pregnancies, making genetic consultation an important step.
Couples with Infertility Issues
Identifying potential genetic causes of infertility can help optimize treatment strategies and improve the chances of a successful pregnancy.
Individuals or Couples Undergoing IVF
Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) can be used to screen embryos for genetic abnormalities before implantation, increasing the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy.
Anyone Interested in Their Genetic Health
Even if there are no known issues, a genetic consultation can provide peace of mind and valuable information for future family planning.
What to Prepare for an Initial Genetic Consultation?
By preparing these materials and information, you can help your genetic specialist provide the most accurate assessment and recommendations tailored to your needs.
To ensure that your initial genetic consultation is as effective and informative as possible, it's important to come prepared. Here’s what you should consider bringing:
Medical History
Gather detailed information about your personal medical history, including any past illnesses, surgeries, or treatments. This should also include information about your partner if applicable.
Family Medical History
Collect information about the health history of your immediate and extended family, including any known genetic disorders, chronic illnesses, or conditions that run in the family. Be prepared to discuss the health of your parents, siblings, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Previous Test Results
Bring any relevant medical records or previous test results, especially those related to fertility, previous pregnancies, and genetic testing.
Medications and Supplements
Make a list of all medications, vitamins, and supplements that you and your partner are currently taking or have taken recently.
Lifestyle Information
Be ready to discuss your lifestyle, including diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol or drug consumption, and any exposure to environmental toxins.
Questions and Concerns
Write down any specific questions or concerns you have about genetic risks, family planning, or any other related issues. This will help ensure that all your concerns are addressed during the consultation.
FAQs about Genetic Counselling
Everything you need to know about genetic counselling
If I have had recurrent miscarriages, should I get genetic testing?
A small percentage of recurrent miscarriages are caused by a chromosomal alteration called a translocation. This is an uncommon cause of recurrent miscarriages. It involves a small portion of DNA from one chromosome that either is moved to another chromosome or is inserted in reverse order on the same chromosome. Genetic testing can help determine if this is the problem.
How do I find out if I am a carrier of a serious genetic disorder?
There are some special tests we conduct. It is important to discuss these test results with your doctor and genetic specialist.
There are no genetic disorders in my family. Is there a reason why I should undergo testing?
It is possible for people to be carriers of chromosomal abnormalities without showing any outward symptoms. Chromosomal abnormalities can lead to conditions such as severe genetic diseases that are often fatal before or shortly after birth. Chromosomal abnormalities are also considered the most common cause of miscarriage.
Therefore, women and couples have traditionally been encouraged to consider preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) if there is a risk of passing on a chromosomal abnormality to their child. Furthermore, we recommend PGT for women who have:
- Had recurrent miscarriages
- Reached 37 years of age or more
- Experienced previous failed embryo implantation
- Undergone numerous unsuccessful fertility treatments
- Been diagnosed with unexplained infertility
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