People need to see a genetic counselor for many reasons. Someone having a higher risk of having a child with genetic illness can get genetic counseling. This includes
- People having close relatives with genetic illnesses.
- Parents already have a child with genetic illness.
- Pregnant women over the age of 34 or those having an abnormal prenatal screening test or amniocentesis.
- Women who have had two or more miscarriages or delivered a stillborn baby that had physical signs of a genetic disorder.
Some might also reach the genetic counselor to
- Get testing for themselves, a child or unborn baby.
- To know if they carry a gene for a genetic illness.
- See how likely they pass a genetic illness to their child.
- To know treatment plans for some types of illnesses.