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	Presentations on Genetic Screening 3/19/03 Genetic Screening- Building a Family Michael   Typical Scenario Couple finds out they are pregnant During one of the first prenatal appointments, they are given a large stack of reading material Given a list of tests that are done during pregnancy Typical Tests Ultrasound at 8 weeks to confirm pregnancy AFP test between 15 to 20 weeks to check for birth defects Ultrasound at about 20 weeks Glucose Tolerance Test between 24 and 28 weeks to check for gestational diabetes GBS test at 35 to 37 weeks What the doctor might not tell you What each test is for What the likelihood of your baby having any of these conditions is How accurate the tests are You can choose to not have the tests done AFP Test Measures the levels of alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and unconjugated estriol Checks for neural tube defects, Down Syndrome, and Trisomy 18 Positive AFP Test If the test comes back positive, the doctor will recommend a Level II ultrasound and an amniocentesis Amniocentesis has about a 0.5% chance of miscarriage AFP test has a false positive rate of 80 to 90% Times to Consider Genetic Screening Before deciding to have children Blood tests on both parents to check for the presence of genetic diseases Couple can choose if they want to risk getting pregnant Times to Consider Genetic Screening After getting pregnant AFP Test Amniocentesis Couple can decide to abort the fetus Issues Confidentiality Informing family members Accuracy of the screening tests What do you test for? What do you do with the results? References AFP and Triple Screen Testing, Online: http://pregnancy.about.com/library/weekly/aa120897.htm Boylan and Brown, Genetic Engineering Science and Ethics on the New Frontier, 2001, pgs 92-101.  ..
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 Updated 3/31/03 by thatcher@sonoma.edu