If you have decided to start a family, you focus on improving your overall health to increase your chances of conception and for a healthy newborn. It may be done by making specific lifestyle changes and maintaining a healthier body weight. It may also consist of taking certain immunisations, taking prenatal vitamins and other supplements, and reviewing the ongoing medications that you have to continue to avoid any birth defects or any other pregnancy-related issues. If in case you doubt passing a genetic-related issue, if you or your partner have any genetic disorder, or if it is in your family history, then it is better to go for genetic screening. This genetic screening before pregnancy gives you a glimpse of your and your partner’s genetic combination. It helps assess your overall risk of having a child with the same genetic disorder.
Preconception genetic screening – What is it
It is a type of carrier screening done before pregnancy that helps you and your doctor determine whether you carry a gene for certain genetic conditions. Preconception means getting tested before conceiving, which means that your cells have the gene for a specific condition, and screening is done to determine whether you or your partner carry the gene even if you don’t have any symptoms.
This testing is very easy and very beneficial and is recommended to people who want to start a family or to start a fertility treatment. At Pride IVF, experts recommend people get genetic screening done before pregnancy as doing so will help them to get important details about their genetic health and to make an informed decision.
Genetic screening basics
Choosing to go for genetic screening before pregnancy is the best decision you can make as it will give you a chance to determine if you or your partner carry any recessive genes of specific inherited disorders; because you have a family history, you can be a carrier for genetic illness as you may not know that you have the genetic disorder and it can be passed on their own to your children. Generally it takes two genes for a child of inherited genetic disorder, one from the father’s side and the other from the mother’s. If both partners carry recessive genes, then there is a one in four chance that your kids will get the gene from each of you and be born with the same disorder. If in case one out of both the partners has the genetic disorder, then still one in two chances is there that your kids will also be a carrier.
Some genetic disorders that you can test before you plan a pregnancy
Some common genetic disorders that you can test for before conception include:
- Hemoglobinopathies – These are conditions that affect RBCs, like sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, etc, and cause weakness, short breathness and infection in kids.
- Cystic fibrosis – These are conditions that affect breathing and digestion in children
- Fragile X syndrome – This is a disorder that causes developmental delays, social and behavioural issues, etc.
- Spinal muscular atrophy is a condition that affects nerve cells in the spinal cord, weakens muscles, and affects breathing, body movement, and swallowing.
Reasons to Choose Genetic Screening Before Pregnancy
The main reason why you should go for genetic testing before pregnancy is that you will have a chance to determine the disease that your child might be at risk for. You can also find ways to prevent upcoming problems affecting your child’s life. This genetic screening before pregnancy can prevent your child from the high risk of developing a disorder that runs in your family. The cost of the testing depends upon what test you have to go through and if your insurance covers that or not. This genetic screening before pregnancy offers couples and the vital details to make appropriate reproductive choices. Reasons to consider genetic screening before pregnancy are :
- Some genetic conditions are manageable, and some can have more serious outcomes. Knowing your carrier status before pregnancy will help you understand the risk well so you can make a good decision.
- Genetic screening before pregnancy will offer you time to understand well about your reproductive options. If you have an increased risk of having a child with a genetic condition, then it is best to talk to your fertility specialist to know options and to make a well-versed decision.
- Couples who choose genetic screening before pregnancy one thirty will discover that they have a high chance of having a child with any genetic condition that they have screened positive for. It is best to know the status in advance to learn options to manage it well.
- Genetic screening is very easy and non-invasive. All you have to do is give a blood as well as a saliva sample.
People are carriers of one of two genetic conditions and are not aware of that as it does not impact your health. Genetic screening allows you to know the single gene conditions you carry and prevent to pass it on to your children.
Genetic screening can also be done after you conceive.
When and how the genetic screening is done
Genetic screening can be done before pregnancy while you are trying to conceive or once you have a positive pregnancy test. It is said that the earlier you get your genetic screening done, the more doctors can do something to extract and manage it. Once the sample or your blood, saliva, and tissue is taken, the lab will isolate the DNA from cells and perform the screening, and you will get the results between one and two weeks after testing. Even if both partners test positive as carriers of the same genetic disorder, there is still a 25 percent chance that your child may have the disease. The food time to go for the screening is before you get pregnant. If in case you are positive, you may have a choice to consider other options as well, like sperm donation and different routes to start a family.
Conclusion
Genetic screening before pregnancy will help to remove any uncertainty that you may have about your genetic health; the testing will help your gynaecologist or fertility specialist to make informed treatment decisions you need if genetic tissues are determined. To learn more about genetic screening before and during pregnancy, consult the best IVF center in Delhi, Pride IVF, which is well-known for its many successful treatment options. If you wish to start a family, it is better for you to consider a preconception consultation with the specialist at Pride IVF to discuss your genetic testing options and their advantages for you.
