Genetics in prenatal diagnosis

Abstract

The options for prenatal genetic testing have evolved rapidly in the past decade, and advances in sequencing technology now allow genetic diagnoses to be made down to the single-base-pair level, even before the birth of the child. This offers women the opportunity to obtain information regarding the foetus, thereby empowering them to make informed decisions about their pregnancy. As genetic testing becomes increasingly available to women, clinician knowledge and awareness of the options available to women is of great importance. Additionally, comprehensive pretest and posttest genetic counselling about the advantages, pitfalls and limitations of genetic testing should be provided to all women. This review article aims to cover the range of genetic tests currently available in prenatal screening and diagnosis, their current applications and limitations in clinical practice as well as what the future holds for prenatal genetics.

Singapore Medical Journal: reflecting on 2023

“…As much as subspecialisation is needed to advance science and to manage complexities in clinical care, the generalists must also keep abreast with clinically relevant subspecialist advances in medical care, to better inform their patients and advocate for their interests. Topics that were addressed in this issue included pitfalls in clinical genetics,[ 1 ] genetics in prenatal diagnosis[ 2 ] and paediatric care,[ 3 ] genetics and cancer predisposition,[ 4 ] genetics in ocular diseases,[ 5 ] as well as genetics in the context of data science application[ 6 ] and microbiome research. [ 7 ] Another special issue focusing on obesity was published in March 2023 in conjunction with World Obesity Day.…”