Carrier screening is designed to identify genetic changes in healthy people which can cause diseases when passed down to their children.
Carrier screening plays an important role in family planning, and is ideally performed before you get pregnant. This gives you the most reproductive options if you do test positive as a carrier for a genetic condition.
If you or your partner are already pregnant, carrier screening is still important to help you better understand your reproductive risk and prepare for a healthier future for your family.
If you and your reproductive partner are both carriers of a disease-causing variant in the same gene, there is a 1 in 4 chance that your child may inherit that condition. In this case, a genetic counselor or physician can help you understand the reproductive options available to you. This will help you make the best decisions for your growing family.