The scientific community continuously receives new knowledge regarding the genetics of common diseases and their patterns of inheritance. Through genetic counseling, both the family history and the couple’s individual medical history are examined to assess the risk of a hereditary disease appearing in the family. If an increased risk is identified, the genetic counselor explains how the disease is transmitted from generation to generation and provides all necessary information to understand the condition. Additionally, for a comprehensive investigation of the disease, specialized diagnostic tests may be recommended.
Genetic counseling is considered important in the following cases:
Couples with close kinship
Individuals with diseases such as cystic fibrosis
Couples whose prenatal testing revealed a chromosomal abnormality in the fetus (hereditary or “de novo”)
Individuals who have a child with intellectual disability
Individuals who have a child with a genetic disorder
Individuals with a history of miscarriages
Individuals exposed to teratogens
Individuals with reproductive problems
Individuals with a history of epilepsy
Pregnant women with infections during pregnancy
Individuals with a history of hereditary cancer