Welcome to Genetic Counselor - A new profession in the field of genetics.
Genetic counselors are health professionals who are trained to help families understand genetic disorders and to provide information and support to those families. They may also serve as patient advocates by referring individuals or families to local services that can be of assistance. To help understand the genetic counselors mission, let's have a quick look at how genetic counselors relate to those not yet born...
As shown above, prenatal testing are tests relating to pregnancy. They help identify, and sometimes treat, health problems that may affect the mother as well as her unborn baby. Pre-pregnancy counseling with a genetics counselor will help to identify certain tests you should have done before you get pregnant. Once pregnant, there are routine tests that every woman should have done. During your pregnancy other tests may be offered depending on ones specific needs. Fortunately, most babies are born healthy without medical problems or birth defects.
Everything from the advertising practices of corporations responsible for the recent rise of at home genetic testing to the dynamic communicative practices at play in genetic counseling sessions combine to form a broad-based controversy with important ethical, political, and social aspects. Because genetics are such an important aspect of health, the statement and video below is very important...
Here is one of my favorite geneticists - British (department of genetics at Cambridge University) scientist Aubrey de Grey, Ph.D., is interviewed by Bloomberg News. In this video, Doctor de Grey provides a brief overview on how aging could be curable and extreme life extension could be available in as little as 25 years and the scientific debate surrounding such a proposition.
Thanks for stopping by GeneticCounselor.net. In this growing website, we will be adding special articles and news items from around the world - covering the increasing volume of new information about genetics. Please bookmark www.GeneticCounselor.net as a good resource for keeping abreast of the emerging field of genetics. Thanks for stopping by.
