Who Should Get Genetic Counselling?

Genetic disorders are mostly incurable.

You may get genetic counseling for premarital health issues while planning a pregnancy, during pregnancy, for your child health issues, adult disease management, and cancer care.

Pregnancy planning: The majority of couples do not need genetic counseling. However, some may need genetic counseling who

• Are planning their first pregnancy.
• Need discussion on other pregnancy options such as assisted reproductive technology (ART).
• Wish to understand the disease susceptibility to their future child.
• Want to assess and understand any potential risks associated with
• Genetic conditions that run in their family.
• History of infertility.
• History of multiple miscarriages or babies that died in infancy.
• A previous child with a birth defect and developmental or intellectual disabilities.
• Family members with an intellectual disability or birth defects.
• Increasing parental age (>35 years).
• Concerns about the risk of pregnancy due to health or lifestyle.
• An ethnic or racial group. 
• Concerns about their exposure to radiation, medicines, illegal drugs, infections, or chemicals.
• Having abnormal blood tests or ultrasound finding results.

During pregnancy: Couples may require genetic counseling during pregnancy who have

• History of infertility.
• Multiple pregnancy losses or the death of a baby just after birth. 
• Unexpected abnormal results of a blood test, placenta test, ultrasound, or other.
• Older age at the time of conception (≥35 years).
• History of exposure to certain drugs or medicines, chemicals, or X-rays.
• Personal or family history of hereditary conditions such as sickle cell disease, birth defect, or cancer.
• Carrier ability of certain hereditary disorder, for example, a mother carrying abnormal genes of hemophilia (a blood clotting disorder).
• An unborn baby diagnosed with a birth defect or genetic condition.
• Health issues, especially a mother with
• Brain or mood disorders.
• Blood disorders.
• Infection, for example, cytomegalovirus.
• Immune system disorders.
• High blood pressure.
• Seizures.
• Alcoholism.
• Diabetes.
• Thyroid (a neck gland) disorder.
• A previous child with a genetic disorder such as
• Cystic fibrosis (damage to the lung and digestive system).
• Down syndrome (developmental and intellectual delay).
• Fragile X syndrome (a condition causing intellectual disability).
• Hemochromatosis (too much iron in the body).
• Hemophilia (blood clotting abnormality).
• Huntington’s disease (the progressive breakdown of nerve cells).
• Muscular dystrophy (progressive loss of muscle mass).
• Neural tube defects (birth defect of embryonic brain and spine precursor).
• Cleft lip or roof of the mouth.
• Heart problems.
• Short height.
• Hearing or vision problems.
• Learning disabilities.
• Mental health problems.
• Cancer.
• Diabetes.
• Seizure.

Childcare: A genetic counselor may address concerns if your child has

• Development delay or disabilities.
• Intellectual disabilities.
• Autism (developmental impairment of communication skill).
• Multiple health problems.
• Birth defects.
• Abnormal physical features or screening results.
• Vision or hearing issues.
• Suspected genetic condition.
• Family history of a genetic condition.

Adult health management: Genetic counseling is helpful for adults with a cardiovascular, psychiatric condition, and cancer to evaluate

• Adults and their children’s risk of genetic disorders.
• Genetic testing to predict or diagnose their condition early.
• Management of their health.
• Symptoms of conditions that they may have or have a family history that includes
• Hereditary breast or ovary (woman sex organ) cancer.
• Lynch syndrome (hereditary gut cancers).
• Familial hypercholesterolemia (condition of increased cholesterol).
• Muscle disorders and muscular loss.
• Inherited movement disorders.
• Inherited blood disorders.

Cancer disease: Genetic counselors can determine the risk of cancer or whether it runs in an individual’s family, who has

• Cancer of the breast or gut (colon), under the age of 50 years.
• A close relative with cancer.
• More than one primary cancer or type of cancer.
• A rare type of cancer or tumor.
• Cancer with known mutation (genetic change).
• Familial susceptibility to cancer.
• Ethnicity associated with a higher frequency of hereditary cancers.