One in millions of babies born every year can develop a genetic disorder in the mother’s womb. The birth of such a child can pose several unknown difficulties for the parents to deal with if they are unaware of the genetic disorder in their child in prior. Also, the presence of any genetic condition in the family always leads to certain apprehensions in the minds of the parents before giving birth to a child. In both these cases, seeking the support of an expert places the parents in a better position to deal with the situation.
Importance of Genetic Counseling in Relation to Pregnancy and Baby Birth:
As per the National Society for Genetic Counselors, genetic counseling is defined as “the understanding and adaptation to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease”.
A person is considered to be an expert genetic counselor in the United States if he or she possesses a degree in Master of Science and certification from the American Board of Genetic Counseling. A genetic counselor is available to carry out prenatal testing at adult genetic centers, pediatric care centers and at prenatal clinics.
Genetic counseling involves meeting medical experts who then explain the parents about the possibility of a genetic disorder to be inherited by the child. The genetic profiles of the parents are studied by these experts before arriving at any conclusion. They also explain the consequences of inheriting a genetic condition and prepare the parents to mentally and medically deal with their child.
The advantages of these counseling are that the parents have more understanding of the genetic disease to be dealt with. They have more awareness of the options which can help them to manage the disease well. They can undergo genetic testing as and when the need arises owing to the knowledge of the benefits of carrying out these tests and of the risks if they are ignored. The cooperation of the parents towards the complex process of genetic counseling is more forthcoming.
Stages of Genetic Counseling:
There are five stages in the process of under genetic counseling. They are the intake phase, the initial contact phase, the encounter phase, the summary phase and the follow-up phase. The first and last phases take place outside the actual session of counseling. These phases were first categorized by Seymour Kessler in 1979.
The meeting of the counselor and the families take place in the initial counter phase phase which leads to the building of strong rapport between the two parties. The families learn about the type of tests to carry out from the counselor in the encounter phase. Various available options and decisions are taken in the summary phase. With the consent of the families, tests are carried out. The results of the tests are explained by the counselor in the follow-up phase.
What happens when I go for genetic counseling
You will usually be asked about your health and your family background. Some blood tests may be required to determine whether you or your partner are carriers for an inherited disease. Based on this information, the counselor will help to assess the degree of risk. This can help couples make an informed decision when deciding whether to proceed with a pregnancy. The counselor can also advise if there are tests available to determine whether your unborn baby is affected by specific inherited conditions.
Genetic counseling: Who can Benefit
- If you have a previous child born with a congenital problem like spina bifida or a heart abnormality
- If you have a previous child born with a genetic disorder (e.g. cystic fibrosis, Down’s syndrome or sickle-cell anemia
- If there is a family history of an inherited problem such as hemophilia or sickle-cell anemia
- If there is a blood relationship between you and your partner
- If you have a history of repeated miscarriage
Conclusion: Along with the definitive results of the genetic diagnostic tests, a small risk of 1-2 percent of miscarriage is also involved. The genetic counselors make it clear to the parents on the very onset of the counseling session that there are no right or wrong answers to the questions posed by the parents. The help rendered to the parents, while they take the decision on management of the pregnancy, is based on the professional experiences of the expert.
