Best Advice For Couples Turning Soon-To-Be-Parents!

Pregnancy is a special phase that brings you joy, merry and responsibilities at the same time. While you’re enjoying this momentous journey, as a soon-to-be-parent, you’re wondering how your little one would look like. Will they have deep eyes like mom or attractive features like dad? But most importantly, what every parent wishes for, is a healthy baby. Isn’t it? And dear parents, this completely depends upon the genes that your baby will inherit from you. 

However, as responsible parents, it’s important to understand whether your genetic makeup is compatible with that of your spouse even before you plan a pregnancy, or are in the early stages of pregnancy. In case, either of you are a carrier for any genetic disorder, you are at a greater risk of passing it on to your child. Therefore, getting detailed insights into your genes & getting carrier screening test done is important as this step will help plan your parenthood journey happily. 

Who Is A Carrier?

In genetics, ‘carrier’ refers to an individual who ‘carries’ only one copy of an abnormal gene linked to some inherited condition. Either of the parents could pass this abnormal gene to their offspring which may result in a genetic condition. It can affect their overall health and well-being. Usually, any parent who carries the abnormal gene for a genetic disorder leads a healthy and normal life without showing any specific symptoms. ¹ 

What Is A Carrier Screening Test?

Carrier screening is a genetic screening test that confirms if you or your partner carry a gene for a certain genetic disorder or inherited condition. A carrier might show mild to no symptoms  associated with a particular genetic condition. In case of a positive carrier screening test , there may be a potential risk of contracting a genetic disorder to the offspring. Therefore, this carrier screening test plays an important role in allowing the couples to identify the risks involved and find their chances of having a child with an inherited condition. ²

When Is The Carrier Screening Test Conducted?

The right time to conduct the carrier screening is when you’re planning for pregnancy (preconception stage). In certain situations, couples who’ve just begun with their pregnancy journey and are in their first trimester are also recommended for carrier screening, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). ^{3, 4}

For those who are planning for pregnancy, knowing your carrier status may help seek you better medical advice beforehand.³ For the couples who are already pregnant, this test prepares you for the future risk. Getting this test done prior to your pregnancy is a better choice. By doing so, you can seek timely doctor’s medical support and understand if your baby is at risk or not.

Is My Baby Safe From Genetic Disorder? What Are The Chances?

If you want to gain an accurate and deep understanding of your genes, it’s recommended to go for a carrier screening test. Whether you’re planning to have a baby or you are pregnant already, it is better to know your carrier status for any inherited condition. Although both the parents can transfer the abnormal gene with a genetic disorder with a particular condition to their offspring. Let us get a quick glance at the variation passed down in a specific pattern, for example:

• Autosomal Recessive Disorders - In this pattern of inheritance, if both the partners are carriers of the same genetic condition, then there is a 25% chance for the offspring to be affected. There are 50% chances for the child to be a carrier and a 25% chance they’ll inherit normal copies of the gene. ^{5, 6} 
• X-Linked Recessive Disorders - Under this inheritance pattern, if the mother is a carrier, there is a 50% chance that each of her future baby boys will have the disorder and a 50% chance that the future baby girl will be a carrier. ⁷

How Is Carrier Screening Test Conducted?

You can opt for LifeCell’s GenesPass test kit to get insights on your carrier status. The Comprehensive GenesPass test analyzes 2000+ genes and helps you identify abnormal copies of genes in your and your partner's DNA. 

What’s the fun part? No need to step out and give your sample. Just schedule a sample pick and LifeCell’s executive will collect your kit from your doorstep, sending it back to the lab. After approximately 15 days, you can view your test results on your personalized dashboard. Easy, right?

Pregnant? Before following every piece of advice on social media, watch this video!