By 
If a disorder runs in your family and you are afraid that you are at risk of the condition, there is good news. Thanks to advanced technology, you can now learn about your odds through a genetic screening. It involves examining the chemical catalog in your DNA, which conveys the commands for your body’s function.
Genetic screening relays crucial information for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness. Thus, it can be used for different purposes, including during pregnancy, to ensure that it goes smoothly and secure the baby’s health. At OC Fertility, Sharon Moayeri, MD, and Nidhee Sachdev, MD, deliver the latest genetic screening in Newport Beach to evaluate the embryos produced in the course of fertility treatments.
Reasons for Genetic Screening
Genetic screening is commonly used for newborn screening to test for any genetic and metabolic abnormalities associated with specific health conditions. This is vital because if a disorder is identified in the baby, care and treatments can be done in advance.
You may require genetic screening for diagnostic testing if you show signs of a disease related to genetic changes. The purpose is to reveal if the suspected disorder is in you.
You may also need the screening for presymptomatic and predictive testing to tell if you are at risk of getting a genetic disorder that runs through your family history. This is done even before you show any symptoms related to the suspected condition.
You may also use genetic screening as a carrier testing before having children. This helps identify genes associated with mutation and vast genetic diseases and tell if you or your mate are carriers of the same conditions.
Genetic screening can also be used for pharmacogenetics to determine the medications and doses for a particular health complication that can be beneficial and effective.
If you are pregnant, genetic screening can be used to detect any abnormalities in your baby’s genes.
How You Should React to the Results
The results of genetic screening can be positive, negative, or inconclusive. Depending on the purpose of the screening, here is how to utilize positive results.
- If it was to diagnose a specific condition, the right treatment and management plan could be derived from the information relayed.
- If you need to know if you are a carrier of a gene that can cause a disorder in your child, the next step can be to determine the child’s actual risk of developing the complication. You can also consider the information when making family planning.
- It is good to note that if you find that you can develop a certain disease that runs in your family, it is not given that you will have the complication. It only means that your risk of the illness is high compared to others. However, having the genes for some conditions such as Huntington’s disease is an indication that it will eventually develop.
For negative results, it cannot guarantee that you don’t have the disorder or that you will never get the condition. However, the results can be reassuring.
No matter the nature of the definitive answers about your health, it is crucial to talk to the genetic screening specialists to help you understand what they mean for you and your family. You can raise any concerns you might have, and you can get the explanations you require. If you need more information about screening, you can reach out to Dr. Moayeri and Dr. Sachdev at OC Fertility.
Comments