Who needs prenatal genetic services?
- Women desiring preconception counseling.
- Expectant mothers who will be 35 years of age or older at time of delivery.
- Expectant mothers (and/or father of the pregnancy) who have had a child with a chromosome abnormality (i.e., Down
syndrome), neural tube defect (i.e., spina bifida), birth defect (i.e., cleft lip/palate), single gene disorder (
i.e., sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, etc.), or mental retardation.
- Expectant mothers (and/or father of the pregnancy) with a personal and/or family history of chromosomal disorders,
birth defects, genetic disorders, or mental retardation.
- Expectant mothers exposed to teratogens (radiation, alcohol drugs, medications, etc.).
- Expectant mothers with a medical condition known or suspected to affect fetal development (i.e., diabetes, seizure
disorder, etc.).
- Expectant mothers with a positive maternal serum screening test (i.e., maternal serum alpha fetal protein (MSAFP)
test).
- Expectant mothers (and/or father of the pregnancy) identified as carriers for single gene disorders such as
cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, and sickle cell anemia through carrier screening tests or based on family
history.
- Expectant mothers who are overly anxious about genetic disorders or birth defects.
- Expectant mothers with an abnormal ultrasound indicating potential congenital malformations.
- Expectant mothers (and/or father of the pregnancy) in which there is a history of problem pregnancies
(stillbirths, miscarriages, or difficulty in conceiving).
