It depends on the health condition. A baby might have an extra risk of being born with a genetic condition if a parent or other close relative is affected. If a genetic condition is known to be present in the family, then you could ask your doctor to make a referral to your regional genetics clinic for further investigation or advice.
Some conditions are caused by a single gene, which may or may not be inherited. Many other conditions are caused by a combination of genes and non-genetic factors, such as parental smoking. One thing to consider is whether or not the information would be useful to the child (now or in the future), to the parents or to other family members.
When to get advice
Ask for advice from your GP or midwife if:
- You have a condition that you think might run in the family.
- Your partner has an inherited condition or carries a gene for an inherited condition (also called carrying the “trait”).
- Other relatives have an inherited condition.
Your GP or midwife can give you advice about the chance of certain conditions being present in a developing baby or child. They may refer you to a specialist in genetics for further advice. Genetics advice is available from your regional genetics clinic.
It’s also important to get advice before trying for a baby if you or anyone in your family has given birth to a child with a condition such as spina bifida, Down’s syndrome or deafness, for example. While there are screening choices to consider, these conditions are not uncommon and are not typically caused by a single gene. There are no tests during pregnancy that can tell you that a baby is “completely healthy”.
What information will I need?
Your family may need to provide the clinic, midwife or GP with information about their family history and describe the condition itself. You may need to gather information from affected family members such as:
- the sex of the affected person
- their date of birth
- their ethnic background
- details of their medical problems and their age when they were diagnosed
- where and when they were diagnosed or treated
- if relevant and applicable, the cause and date of their death, and whether a postmortem was done
Ideally, this information should cover close relatives including:
- brothers or sisters
- parents
- grandparents
- uncles
- aunts
- cousins
What if I’m already pregnant?
If you're already pregnant, your GP can give you advice about:
- the use and limitations of ultrasound scans in your first and second trimesters
- newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (if you’re from north-western parts of Europe)
- sickle cell disorders (if your background is African-Caribbean, Asian or Middle Eastern)
- parental screening for thalassaemia (if your background is Asian, Mediterranean, African-Caribbean or Middle Eastern)
- parental screening for tay sachs disease (if your background is Jewish)
You may be able to have tests early on in your pregnancy to check whether your baby is at risk or affected.
Read the answers to more questions about pregnancy.
Further information:
