In modern times, future parents, when planning a pregnancy, often pay close attention to the sign of the zodiac of their unborn child or which gender, completely forgetting that it is necessary to first pass the necessary tests and get advice from a geneticist.
Genetics is the science of heredity, thanks to which doctors have created special genetic tests aimed at identifying genes that can be the cause of congenital inherited diseases. Thus, genetics during pregnancy, makes it possible to conduct research on various inherited diseases, both before conception and during pregnancy.
Today, a large number of families seek the advice of geneticists about all kinds of diseases. Undoubtedly, the consultation of a geneticist during pregnancy is needed, first of all, to determine the possible risk group for the presence of diseases that can be inherited. The geneticist will conduct all the necessary studies in order to identify the presence of genetic pathologies in the unborn child.
Thus, when planning pregnancy, as well as in the presence of pregnancy, gynecologists recommend undergoing a medical genetic prenatal study. This study is conventionally divided into three main groups:
- An invasive study with surgical intervention, due to which tissue and fetal cells are obtained;
- non-invasive studies, that is, studies without surgical intervention, which include ultrasound and dopplerography of blood vessels and the placenta.
- a sieving diagnostic method, which consists in determining substances in the mother’s blood that can talk about congenital malformations of the fetus.
We can say that genetics during pregnancy also includes the determination of genetic risk groups, which include people who are highly likely to have children with hereditary diseases. These risk groups include:
- women who have repeated miscarriages or missed pregnancies;
- women who consumed teratogenic drugs during the conception period;
- women over thirty-five years old and men over the age of forty years;
- parents who have various inherited diseases;
- parents who are in a consanguineous marriage;
- parents who have been exposed to radiation or chemicals.
When pregnancy occurs, the gynecologist directs the woman to undergo an ultrasound scan. The first ultrasound scan is carried out at a gestational age of five weeks, but the second must be completed no later than fourteen weeks of pregnancy. This is due to the fact that a geneticist during a woman’s pregnancy has the opportunity at this time to diagnose the development of fetal malformations and determine some of its changes, which may be a pathology of chromosomes. In this case, the specialist will use the diagnostic method, such as biopsy and amniocentesis. It is also recommended to undergo a third ultrasound at a period of twenty- two weeks of pregnancy to identify abnormalities in the development of the face, limbs and internal organs of the child. In this case, genetics during pregnancy allows the child to be treated even in the womb or to develop treatment tactics after birth until complete recovery.
It should be remembered that only a comprehensive study by the geneticist of the genealogy, history of women and the health status of both parents makes it possible to use the appropriate tactics for examining a pregnant woman and to choose the appropriate treatment methods if necessary. Thus , genetics during pregnancy prevents the birth of children with various abnormalities.