Pregnancy Genetic Counseling

The genetic counselors affiliated with Memorial Hermann work closely with the affiliated maternal-fetal medicine physicians to counsel women at an increased risk for having a baby with a particular disorder or genetic syndrome.

You may be a good candidate for genetic counseling if one or more of these risk factors apply to you:

• 35 or older at the time of delivery
• Abnormal screening test (first or second trimester screen)
• Previous child with a birth defect
• Family history of a genetic disease, metabolic disease, learning disability or hemoglobinopathy
• Multiple pregnancy losses
• Exposed to teratogens or have a condition that requires taking certain medications
• Documented carrier of a genetic condition such as cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs, sickle cell anemia, beta thalassemia or muscular dystrophy

Genetic counselors provide a wide array of prenatal counseling services including:

• Maternal first and second trimester serum screen testing interpretation
• Chromosome conditions
• First trimester genetic risk assessment
• Prenatal genetic diagnosis for known genetic disease in the family
• Counseling for ultrasound anomalies
• Preconception counseling to assess risk related to family history
• Counseling for medication exposures