Know Your Genes Before You Decide to Have Children

Something Every Couple Should Think About

Everyone knows that starting a family is a very exciting experience for any couple. Everyone expects the first few nights of being a new parent to be challenging. Late night feedings, diaper duty, colic, jaundice, and common colds are enough for a parent to deal with. No one expects that anything will be seriously wrong with their child. If, however, a genetic disorder is present in your family history, you need to be prepared that your child might too have the disease. Even if your family does not have an apparent history of inherited abnormalities, it is still a good idea for each parent to have simple blood tests to see if either parent carries gene mutations that can cause birth defects, mental retardation, or even fatal diseases.

If any gene mutations are found in either of the parents DNA, the parents will have a better idea of the risk factors their future children face. Just because one or both parents are carriers of a gene mutation, that does not mean that their children will have the disease or defect that is caused by that gene mutation. It only means that the child is at a greater risk of inheriting the disease or defect. In light of this new found information the couple can make an informed decision, whether or not to proceed with starting their family.

After a couple knows the risk factors that their children face, they may decide to go ahead with trying to start their family. After all, having a child with a birth defect or a mental disease is not the end of the world. These are special children who require extra love, care, understanding, and patience on the side of both parents. If these parents know what to expect, they can better prepare themselves emotionally and financially with the additional stress they may face. A couple who decides to have children after knowing the risk factors may feel more in control of the situation. A couple that is better prepared to handle this stress is more likely to thrive, and not separate or divorce because of the additional stress these special children place on their marriage.