Prenatal Genetic Counseling
About Genetic Counseling
Genetic counselors help patients and families understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial impact of genetic disease. They interpret family and medical histories to assess the chance of a disease occurring or recurring. They use information from ultrasounds, genetic screening, and genetic testing to diagnose underlying conditions that may be present. They take the time to talk about inheritance, testing options, management, prevention, resources and research. We promote informed choices either for ongoing or future pregnancies and provide support for decisions that families make.
Some common reasons for patients at UCHealth to visit with a genetic counselor prior to, or during a pregnancy, may include:
- Family or personal history of
- Genetic disease
- Intellectual disability/developmental delay
- Birth defects
- Infertility/multiple miscarriages
- Abnormal genetic prenatal screening
- Cell-free DNA screening (non-invasive prenatal screening)
- Maternal serum screening
- Carrier screening
- Carrier couples of autosomal recessive disease
- Female carrier of X-linked condition (eg. Fragile X)
- Ethnic-based panels (eg. Ashkenazi Jewish)
- Expanded carrier screening
- Patients considering prenatal diagnosis (chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis)
- Abnormal diagnostic test results from CVS, amnio, or testing on products of conception
- Teratogen exposure
- Couples who are first cousins or other close blood relatives
Patients can be scheduled at UCHealth for genetic counseling only or ultrasound and genetic counseling appointments by phone or fax. Our team will reach out to set up an appointment.
(720) 848-1863
Patients and families at the Colorado Fetal Care Center are seen by a genetic counselor for the following reasons:
- Isolated or multiple fetal anomalies. Examples may include:
- Brain abnormalities
- Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
- Cystic hygroma
- Facial abnormalities
- Heart defects
- Kidney abnormalities
- Limb abnormalities
- Neuromuscular disorders/arthrogryposis
- Omphalocele
- Skeletal dysplasias
- Spina bifida/myelomeningocele
- Urogenital abnormalities
- Advanced diagnostic genetic testing, which may narrow the genetic differential:
- Microarray
- Single gene sequencing
- Multi-gene (panel) sequencing
- Prenatal whole exome sequencing (WES)
Patients can be scheduled for genetic counseling appointments at the Colorado Fetal Care Center by phone or fax. Once we receive your referral, our team will reach out to set up an appointment.
(720) 777-7960
