Some health conditions run in families. We call these genetic disorders because changes in genes cause them.
Genetic testing looks for these changes. It helps find out if you, your child, partner or other family member may have or carry a genetic condition.
Who may benefit from genetic testing:
- Family or personal history of a genetic condition
- Ethnic background with higher genetic risk
- History of miscarriages or trouble getting pregnant
- Known risk of genetic conditions
Prenatal Testing and Counseling
At Children’s Wisconsin, we refer, assess, consult and treat pregnant women when their baby may have or has a genetic condition. This service is the only one of its kind in Wisconsin and one of the few in the United States.
Prepregnancy Genetic Testing
Our prepregnancy genetic testing involves testing people or couples to find out if they are carriers of certain genetic conditions. If they are, they could pass them on to their kids. The goal is to provide information about potential genetic risks before pregnancy.
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Program
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a form of genetic testing used with in vitro fertilization (IVF). Your doctor might suggest PGD if your embryos could have chromosome issues or genetic conditions.
Who may benefit from PGD:
- Mothers over age 35
- Families with a history of a genetic condition
- Parents from a background with higher genetic risk
- Families hoping to have a child with a specific HLA type for bone marrow or blood matches
PGD checks embryos for genetic problems before pregnancy. They use only healthy embryos, which lowers the chance of passing on a condition. PGD can also help find an embryo that is a match for a sibling needing a bone marrow transplant.
