Just when you think nothing could be more confusing than figuring out what parts of your pregnancy and birth are covered by insurance, you hear the words ‘genetic screening.’ Genetic screening, testing and counseling. It’s a lot to take in, but don’t worry—we’re here to help you understand how it all works and, if you opt to do it, we’ll walk you through your results. While WHA offers genetic screening and carrier testing to all of our patients, the decision to pursue it and what to do with the information is personal.

WHA’s genetic counselors work closely with the maternal-fetal medicine physicians and sonographers of Northwest Perinatal Center to help you understand your diagnosis, or inherited or age-related risks, and make decisions that are right for you and your family. They have master’s degrees in human genetics and are nationally certified as genetic counselors. They can help you understand:

• Inherited, genetic, environmental, ethnic or age-related risks–either before or after conception
• Abnormal results from routine prenatal screening
• Results from prenatal diagnosis using amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling that identify a chromosomal abnormality
• Developmental defects

Our services include:

• Pre-pregnancy genetic counseling and carrier testing
• Genetic screening, including non-invasive prenatal testing, sequential screening, etc.
• Genetic testing, including amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling
• Prenatal genetic counseling to help you understand the results of your screening or testing

While these options can seem a bit overwhelming, remember we’re here to provide the information you need on how to proceed. As a patient of WHA, you’ll learn more about your screening options during the first trimester. If you need more information before deciding how to proceed, your provider may recommend you speak with one of our genetic counselors.