What Is Genetic Counseling?

Genetic research has allowed medical professionals a much greater understanding on how inherited diseases and disorders are passed from generation to generation. One benefit of this information is the ability to receive genetic counseling to understand how such genes affect both you and your children.

Identification

• Genetic counseling is method of assessing the risk or likelihood that you or your children will develop a condition that runs in your family.

Types of Conditions

• Conditions discussed in genetic counseling include Alzheimer's disease, breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, fragile X syndrome, Huntington's disease, polycystic kidney disease, sickle cell anemia and Tay-Sachs disease.

Features

• At the beginning of genetic counseling, the counselor takes a detailed history of your family's health and develops a chart to determine your risk. After the initial visit, you may also be required to have some bloodwork done to look for certain genes.

Benefits

• If you or your children are susceptible to a genetic disease or disorder, the genetic counselors can provide you with prevention strategies to help improve your prognosis or prevent the condition entirely. For newborns, catching a genetic trait early can lead to early treatment that may limit the long-term effects of a condition, reports the Genetics Home Reference Guide.

Considerations

• Genetic counseling cannot guarantee that you or your child will or will not develop a specific condition, cautions Genetic Health. The main goal of counseling is to educate and inform--it does not substitute for regular doctor visits nor is it an actual diagnosis.