Ready to start a family? Already have children and are planning on having your next child? Make sure you and your partner get tested for carrier status! 

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We are all carriers of one or more genetic disease, but if you are a carrier of the same recessive disease as your partner then there is a 25% risk in every pregnancy that your child will be born affected by that disease. Some of the diseases, known as X-linked diseases, are only carried by the female partner and can cause disease in the male children if not screened for.

 

Ensure your children are born healthy and disease free by signing up for a preconception/prenatal or couples genetic counseling session with Dr. Akler and being screened with the most comprehensive carrier screening tests on the market.  

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For couples who are already pregnant you can take advantage of new non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) to screen for chromosomal abnormalities (such as Down syndrome, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18 and more) as early as 9-11 weeks of pregnancy and avoid the need of an invasive procedure like chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis. If you or your OB doctor suspect that your unborn child is at risk for a genetic condition you can also test the fetus for various genetic conditions so that you can make an informed decision about your pregnancy. Dr. Akler will educate you and give you all of your options during the session.