Why should you consider genetic testing?

Genetics is a powerful tool. Genetic testing can reveal changes or alterations in your genes that may cause illness or disease. A genetic test can help diagnose a genetic condition. Certain genetic diseases have a high prevalence in certain communities. Being a carrier of a genetic disease means that even though you or your partner do not show symptoms, you can still pass that disease to your child.

Benefits

• Many genetic diseases may be detected early.
• Genetic testing has potential benefits whether the results are positive or negative for a gene mutation.
• Results can provide a sense of relief from uncertainty.
• Help people make informed decisions about managing their health care.
• A positive result can direct toward available prevention, monitoring, and treatment options.
• Newborn screening can identify genetic
• disorders early in life.
• A genetic test might be able to tell you for certain about you or your child’s genetic makeup.
• Information about your genetic makeup might be useful to other family members.
• Talking to a genetic counselor about the results is an important step in the process of genetic testing.

Genetic Testing

Presymptomatic and predictive testing: If there is a family history of a genetic condition, undergoing genetic testing may show if there is a risk of developing that condition.

Diagnostic testing: Genetic testing can reveal if there is a suspected disorder if you have symptoms of a disease that may be caused by genetic alterations.

Carrier testing: If there is a family history of a genetic disorder or if you belong to an ethnic group that has a high risk of a particular genetic disorder carrier screening test is advised.

Prenatal testing: For pregnant women, tests are available that can detect some types of abnormalities in their unborn baby’s genes e.g. Down syndrome.

Newborn screening: This is the most important and common type of genetic testing. It is required that newborns be tested for certain gene abnormalities because care and treatment can begin right away.

Preimplantation testing./ preimplantation genetic diagnosis: When you attempt to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization this test is used. The embryos are screened for genetic abnormalities. Embryos without abnormalities are implanted in the uterus.

Genetic tests offered

Genetic predisposition testing: Do you have a history of a genetic disease in the family or perhaps want to take better control of your health? Why not be more proactive and manage your own health to the max by doing a genetic health test? Our genetic health test will determine your predisposition to 35 different diseases. Read more about our genetic health test.