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It's in the Genes
Testing for Genetic Disorders
By Carma Haley
"When my then-terminally ill husband and I were considering having children, we needed to know if there was any chance of the kids inheriting the cystic fibrosis gene," says Sandy Cummins of Queensland, Australia. "There was no way we could cope with a CF baby while trying to care for a terminally ill father. The test was easy. I took a couple of hairs out of my head and gave them to the doctor and then waited for the results. We learned there was no chance of having cystic children." She found her experience to be painless and says it made all the difference in a decision that would affect her family in such a major way.
Genetic testing does not offer a solution to the prevention of genetic diseases or disorders. It is not for everyone. In fact, according to Hanson, a better solution may be a family health history that offers insight into the conditions or illnesses of the parents' families.
"I think every person should do a disease history of his or her family," says Hanson. "There are illnesses and diseases – such as heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer – that do have an inherited predisposition. It is important that each person know what they are at risk for and live their life trying to reduce those risks. Then, knowing these things, the behaviors can be passed on to the children.
"[Having a baby] is such a roulette game anyway, and there are so many things that can happen. If you have a history in both of the families, then it is probably a good idea to have genetic testing. Otherwise, talk to your family, find out what illnesses your family members have had and base decisions on that. Sometimes it is in the genes, and sometimes it's just in the cards."
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