Who Benefits from Genetic Services?

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  • Women whose pregnancy may be at increased risk for complication or birth defects based on age, blood tests, ultrasound findings, or family history.
  • A family member of a child who has multiple medical problems, birth defects or has learning disabilities or mental retardation.
  • A family member of a person with a known genetic condition or chromosomal abnormality.
  • Women who have had two or more miscarriages or babies who were stillborn.
  • A person who has had two or more children die of SIDS.
  • A person that has a family history of breast or colon cancer especially if there are several people in the family with breast or colon cancer.
  • A person who has concerns about exposures during pregnancy to alcohol, drugs, chemicals, radiation or infection.
  • Couples who are blood relatives.
Parents whose child has been diagnosed with a genetic disease on a newborn screening test.

How Do I Get Genetic Counseling?

  • Contact Crawford County Health Department to have a Genetic Screening completed. If there are any positive indicators you will have the opportunity to be referred to a genetic clinic. Consent for release of medical records will be signed and medical records will be obtained.
  • You will meet with a Geneticist or Genetic Counselor and discuss the health of each member of your family.
  • A Geneticist will examine and talk with members of the family to determine if there is a possible genetic condition.
  • Laboratory tests (blood or urine samples) may be needed to help make a diagnosis.
 
If there is a genetic condition in the family, the geneticist will talk about what this means. They will explain the symptoms of the condition and what you can expect to happen in the future.