Because the heart muscle is controlled by the automatic (involuntary) nervous system, we often take our heartbeat for granted. The characteristic, steady rhythm that sounds like “lub, dub…lub, dub…lub,dub” is controlled by our body’s very own coordinated...
Genetic counseling has been shown to empower patients, decrease genetic test ordering errors and decrease healthcare costs. Yet even with all these benefits, many people face challenges accessing genetic counselors when they need one. New legislation — H.R. 7083 the...
At-home genetic tests advertise that a simple saliva sample can determine your ethnic roots, trace ancestral lineage and connect you with distant relatives across the globe. Additionally, these direct-to-consumer (DTC) tests promise to reveal a detailed genetic...
Decades ago, parents-to-be with a family history of genetic illness or hereditary cancer were often faced with the difficult decision of either never having children or potentially passing along the disease. Today, there are many types of genetic tests, including...
Prospective parents at risk of passing inherited conditions to their children have a few options when it comes to family planning, including having a child without medical intervention, adopting a child or choosing not to have children at all. For individuals and...
The path to parenthood can be a complicated and stressful journey with many avenues for success and failure along the way. If you’ve struggled with infertility or you’re at risk for having a child with an inherited disease, chances are you’re...
One of the leading causes of infant death is a genetic disease called spinal muscular atrophy, also known as SMA. While SMA is genetic, most people are unaware of the risk of having a child with SMA until they either have a child with this disorder or their SMA...
For couples concerned about passing on a hereditary disease or cancer to their children, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) may be a viable option. Preimplantation genetic testing is used to screen embryos for hundreds of single...
A person who has a disease-causing variant — also known as a mutation — in one of their two copies of a particular gene is known as a carrier. Carrier screening for specific genetic conditions is a routine part of prenatal care, but patients and providers are...
If you’re seeking assisted reproduction technology (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive, you may also wish to test your embryos for potentially serious genetic conditions. Even if you’re not infertile, you may — because of a genetic...
