Preconception and Prenatal Genetic Counseling

For couples considering pregnancy or starting a family, The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City offers preconception consultations, including genetic testing, carrier testing and genetic counseling. Preconception genetic testing is an important step in your family planning process that can help you identify possible problems that could impact a healthy pregnancy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends information about genetic carrier screening be provided to every pregnant woman and recommends testing be performed before pregnancy to provide couples with information about any reproductive risks. Doing so allows you to explore all reproductive options available to you.

Genetic counseling can help you understand your risk factors as well as the medical, emotional and familial implications of genetic disease. Genetic counseling can also:

• Interpret your family and medical histories to determine your chance of disease or disease recurrence
• Offer guidance and support to help you make informed choices
• Provide education about inheritance, testing, management, prevention, resources and research

• Take a detailed medical and family history to assess risk.
• Discuss the risks, benefits, limitations and alternatives to any testing.
• Coordinate testing with the necessary medical professionals and laboratories.
• Translate the results of genetic tests and how they affect you personally.
• Explain any possible treatments, prevention or options regarding prenatal genetic disorders.
• Provide support and information to help patients make decisions.

• Someone with a family or personal history of birth defects or a genetic disease.
• Someone with abnormal prenatal screening results.
• Someone with concerns regarding ultrasound findings.
• Couples who have experienced multiple pregnancy losses.
• Pregnant women who are concerned about exposures in their pregnancy.
• Someone who would like more information about testing for conditions that occur frequently in their ethnic group.
• Couples who are blood relatives.
• Someone who has questions about the options for testing before or during pregnancy.

• We are a regional leader in preimplantation genetics. We offer Kansas City's largest group of scientists, including several clinical embryologists.
• We are a Certified Center of Excellence. Our embryology laboratory is 1 of only 3 programs in the nation to be certified a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
• We offer advanced training. Our genetic counselors are board-certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling and have more than 15 years of experience each in the field of prenatal genetic counseling.
• We are at the forefront of medicine. We are part of an academic medical center. That means we offer a complete range of fertility options from screening to diagnostic testing. Many of the infertility services available here are not available anywhere else in the Kansas City region.