Before deciding to have a child, it is advisable to explore the potential risks to which any children that you and your partner may have could be exposed.

These risks vary in nature, such as the balanced chromosomal rearrangement of a future parent, the healthy carrier status of both future parents of a mutation responsible for a hereditary disease (e.g. cystic fibrosis or thalassaemia) or a close family relationship (e.g. the future parents are first cousins). The latter makes it more likely that the future parents are healthy carriers of the same mutation inherited from a common ancestor. Ethnic origins can also involve increased risks of certain diseases.

Reasons potentially causing you to consult us:

Balanced chromosomal rearrangements (e.g. a translocation) that may manifest itself in the form of repeated miscarriage
A disease that is probably hereditary or an orphan disease has been identified in your family (e.g. cystic fibrosis, thalassaemia, spinal muscular atrophy)
a close family relationship between partners (e.g. you are first cousins)
your origins expose you to certain risks (e.g. Ashkenazi Jewish descent)

What to know before trying for a baby