Family History Assessment

If you are concerned about your genetic family history, a genetic counselor can help you determine what your specific risks may be. A family history of known genetic disease, birth defects and/or genetic conditions can influence the health of a pregnancy, affect childhood development or determine who will be susceptible to certain adult onset conditions. In other families there may be several related individuals that all have similar conditions and you may wonder if your children are at increased risk for similar symptoms.

A trained genetic professional can perform a detailed review of your family history. They will ask questions about your personal and medical history and the medical history of your siblings, parents and cousins. Depending on your specific concerns, information may be needed on distant family members as well. Your partner’s personal, medical and family history will also be reviewed. Any genetic patterns or other noted risks will then be discussed with you. You may receive information about recurrence risks and early warning signs or you may be offered more specific genetic testing to gather more information. Click here to visit our GENETIC COUNSELING page.

If you have a family history of a known genetic disease, specific genetic tests may be available to help determine your personal risk of disease or risk of passing a condition onto your children. Sometimes genetic testing is not available or is not an option for families with a history of certain birth defects or other complex conditions. Your genetic counselor may be able to provide recurrence risks based on the specific observed patterns in your family. Since genetic testing is a growing field, there are more tests being offered each year. You may also be able to enroll in research studies to help scientists develop new disease tests. Click here to visit our HOW DO I INHEIRIT A GENETIC DISEASE? page.