Prenatal & Preconception Genetic Services

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Learn about TriHealth Precision Medicine & Genetic Services

Both the Good Samaritan Hospital Seton Center and Bethesda North Hospital provide comprehensive prenatal genetic counseling services. Our board-certified genetic counselors are masters-trained healthcare professionals who provide individual counseling to families at risk for having a child with a birth defect or genetic condition. These services are available both during pregnancy and preconceptionally.

Patients are referred by their physicians to genetic counseling for various indications, including, but not limited to:

Advanced maternal age (having a baby over the age of 35)
Abnormal screening tests
Family history of a genetic disorder
Abnormal ultrasound findings
Medication use in pregnancy

What Our Genetic Counselors Do

Genetic counselors provide patients with important information, discuss available testing options in pregnancy, provide support, facilitate decision making, and make referrals to other appropriate healthcare professionals, when necessary. If you would like to schedule an appointment to see a genetic counselor, please contact the scheduling department at the location you wish to be seen by visiting the hospital's website.

Reasons for Genetic Counseling

MATERNAL CONDITIONS	FETAL CONDITION	FAMILY HISTORY
Blood Disorders (factor V Leiden, protein s deficiency, hemophilia, etc.) Sickle cell anemia Pregestational Diabetes Epilepsy / Seizure disorder Recurrent Miscarriage History of Cardiac Defect Carrier of an Ethnic Condition (cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, beta or alpha thalassemia, etc.) Personal history of a genetic disorder (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Myotonic Dystrophy, Huntington's disease, etc.)	Birth Defects abdominal wall defect, cardiac defect, spina bifida, diaphragmatic hernia, etc. Chromosome Abnormalities - Down syndrome, trisomy 13 or 18, Turner syndrome, triploidy, etc. Prenatal Exposures- prescribed medications, substance abuse, alcohol, radiation, etc. Ultrasound Findings / Trisomy Markers - Absent nasal bone, enlarged nuchal translucency, single umbilical artery, hydronephrosis, ventriculomegaly, etc.	Known genetic condition, such as Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy, Marfan syndrome, Velo-Cardio-Facial syndrome, etc.) Mental Retardation Autism Mental Health Disorders Birth Defects (cardiac defects, spina bifida or other open neural tube defect, cleft lip / palate)