Genetic Counseling

Genetic counseling before pregnancy can help you understand any factors that might affect your baby’s health or your ability to get pregnant. These can include:

• Genetic conditions in your family or your partner's family
• History of infertility, multiple miscarriages or stillbirth
• A past pregnancy or child affected by a birth defect or genetic condition
• Infertility treatment options

Genetic counseling during pregnancy can help explain certain tests, any problems that are found or conditions that might affect your baby’s health. These can include:

• History of infertility, multiple miscarriages or stillbirth
• A past pregnancy or child with a birth defect or genetic condition
• Abnormal test results, like a blood test, ultrasound, chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis
• Infections or exposures during pregnancy, like cytomegalovirus (CMV), medicines, drugs, chemicals or X-rays
• Recommended genetic screening for everyone, including conditions like cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease or any family genetic conditions

Genetic counseling can help if, during a newborn screening, your child shows signs of possible genetic disorders, such as:

• Birth defects
• Autism spectrum disorder or other developmental delays
• Vision or hearing problems
• Metabolic disorders such as phenylketonuria (PKU)

Genetic counseling may be helpful if you or a family member has a history of cancer with certain patterns or traits, including:

• Cancer diagnoses before age 50
• Two or more primary cancers, or cancer affecting organs that are present on both sides of the body
• Multiple relatives across generations with the same type of cancer
• Rare cancers, such as ovarian cancer, male breast cancer, sarcoma, medullary thyroid cancer, diffuse gastric cancer, adrenal gland cancer, pheochromocytoma, paraganglioma, Wilms tumor or retinoblastoma—especially if diagnosed at a young age
• A family member who tested positive for a cancer-related gene (such as BRCA1 or BRCA2)
• Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry

Specific considerations for breast and ovarian cancer include:

• Breast cancer diagnoses before age 50
• Ovarian cancer at any age
• Both breast and ovarian cancer at any age
• Two or more separate breast cancers at any age
• Family history of multiple women in different generations with breast or ovarian cancer, especially if they meet any of the above traits
• A family member with a positive BRCA1 or BRCA2 test
• Male breast cancer at any age
• Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer