Healthy baby

Author: Cao Lijuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features:
3. How to Prevent the Birth of Children with Hereditary Diseases
We know that most hereditary diseases are inherited from parents, but they can also occur due to certain conditions causing mutations in the genes of offspring or parental germ cells, making them new sources of hereditary disease transmission. To prevent the birth of children with hereditary diseases, there are two main approaches:
First, pay attention to reproductive health care and minimize exposure to teratogenic and mutagenic harmful factors.
Second, undergo genetic testing. Genetic testing generally involves two steps.
Step 1: Screening
Through pre-marital examinations and genetic counseling, it helps determine whether there is consanguineous marriage, genetic diseases in the family, whether the pregnant woman has previously given birth to a child with a genetic disease, or whether she has been exposed to teratogenic factors during pregnancy, to decide whether further testing is needed. High-risk pregnant women should also be included as key screening subjects.
Step 2: Genetic Diagnosis
This involves extracting DNA from the white blood cells of suspected individuals and using specific probes to detect whether a particular gene is normal. If the fetus is suspected, amniotic fluid cells or chorionic villus cells are collected for DNA testing. Once confirmed, selective abortion is necessary to prevent the birth of a child with a hereditary disease. If a parent is found to be a carrier of a pathogenic gene, the results can guide their marriage and reproductive decisions. Due to limitations in current technology, not many hereditary diseases can be detected through genetic diagnosis. P9